


What are the chances?

by LoveStoryFanatic



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural, Child Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dreamsharing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Homophobia, M/M, Romance, Series Spoilers, Soul Bond, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2017-12-09 04:45:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 74,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveStoryFanatic/pseuds/LoveStoryFanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Dean and Sam Winchester are on their own. Dean is 28 and Sam is 21. Sam is dating a guy Dean's age named Gabriel who just so happens to work with Dean at the Roadhouse Bar & Grille. What are the chances that Gabriel has a brother? A younger brother who may just be into Dean. John is homophobic to the extreme and yet both of his sons are gay. The real kicker? He doesn't know. What's going to happen when John suddenly pays them a visit and the truth comes out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Favorite Cafe

**Chapter 1**

It was bright and early one Monday morning and Castiel Novak found himself standing in line waiting for his coffee at his favorite café not too far from the little apartment he shares with his older brother, Gabriel. He had two brothers, Gabriel and Lucifer, but Lucifer had moved across the country years ago thanks to their overbearing parents.

Castiel stood patiently to the far right of the café. It was a very busy morning and he understood that they were a bit short staffed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flash of a dark green canvas jacket and turned just slightly to see better.

He spotted a man standing at the counter, ordering a coffee. He had dark blonde hair that was a bit spiked at the front, freckles from what Castiel could see. He was wearing the dark green canvas jacket he had spotted along with dark jeans that had a couple of holes and work boots.

Castiel watched as the man paid and he spotted a silver ring on his right ring finger. The man turned and made his way to the end of the line to wait, which just so happened to be right next to Castiel.

Their eyes met briefly as the man came to stand next to Castiel. A pair of forest green eyes, possibly the greenest eyes Castiel had ever seen, locked onto his before the man blushed slightly and turned away from him to wait for his own coffee.

If he wasn’t so bad at starting a conversation with complete strangers, he would have said something. Castiel became lost in his own world until he heard a very familiar voice ring through the air.

“Dean! Hey, man! I didn’t know you came here!” The man standing beside him, the same man who had been on his mind since Castiel had spotted him, turned at the sound of his name and smiled.

“Gabe! It finally makes sense! You’re a midget because of all the caffeine you absorb. You know I heard it stunts your growth.”

Castiel heard the familiar chuckle of his big brother and turned towards them. “Cassie?! I didn’t know you came here either! Now that’s just sad.” The man Castiel had been thinking about, Dean, turned towards him now and their eyes locked once more.

Castiel broke the gaze and stared down at his ‘big’ brother. “I’ve told you before, Gabriel, that I come here often. It is not my fault that you don’t listen.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, but turned his attention back to Dean. “Dean-o, this is my little brother Cassie. Cassie, this is Dean-o. We work together at the bar.”

Castiel extended his hand towards Dean and Dean accepted. “Castiel. Gabriel likes to come up with nicknames from time to time.” Dean chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, so I’ve noticed. He gave me one the first time we met.”

The lady behind the counter called Castiel’s name as well as Dean’s. They stepped forward together and took their drinks from her. As they stepped back to Gabriel, Dean’s phone went off. “Sorry, excuse me.”

He took a step away and answered his phone as Gabriel took a step closer to Castiel. “So, little brother, I saw you checkin’ him out. You know, I don’t think he’s seein’ anyone at the moment.”

Castiel rolled his eyes. “I was not checking him out, Gabriel. And how do you know he’s not straight? He seems like he would be to me.”

Before Gabe could respond, Dean was back at their sides. “Well, that was Sammy. He was having a mental breakdown.” Gabe was immediately worried, but before he could ask Dean what was going on, Castiel interrupted.

“Sammy?” Dean gave him a crooked grin. “Yeah, my little brother.” Castiel turned and looked at Gabriel. “Is this the same Sam that you’re dating?” Gabriel nodded, smiling sheepishly. “Sure is. Dean-o here introduced us. Well, more like Samsquatch came into the bar one night looking for him and I introduced myself, but you get the picture, Cassie. So, what was my poor Samsquatch worrying about this time?”

Dean rolled his eyes. “It seems Dad decided that he wants to pay us a visit in two weeks. Sam’s kind of freaking out about it already.”

Gabriel’s brows seemed to join together as confusion hit him hard. “Isn’t that good? He said he hasn’t seen his dad in quite awhile.” Dean shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly uncomfortable.

“Well, the thing is…Sam hasn’t quite told our parents about him being gay. Okay, neither of us have, but he’s the one with the boyfriend so when Dad comes down he’s decided he’s going to tell him. And Dad’s kind of…just slightly homophobic.”

“And by slightly, you mean he may have an aneurysm when he finds out.” Dean looked at Castiel and winced just slightly. “I think that may be putting it mildly to be honest. But, I better get headed to work before I’m late. I’ll see you later at the bar, Gabe. And it was nice meeting you, Cas.”

Dean shook Castiel’s hand and held it for a second longer than was probably required, throwing Castiel a quick smile before he dropped his hand and headed out of the café, coffee in hand. Castiel had been too shocked by the nickname to answer him.

Gabe smiled up at his little brother. “Cas, huh? He’s already given you a nickname. Looks like ole Dean-o there likes you. Don’t worry, Cassie, I’ll get the scoop tonight and get things moving.” He winked at Cas as he suddenly left the café, not even bothering to order anything.

Castiel tried to shake it from his mind, but all he could think about for the rest of the day was the mysterious green-eyed man who’d given him a nickname.

**SPN**

Dean stretched and looked at his alarm clock. He had woken up from a pretty good dream filled with homemade apple pie and some quite delicious eye candy. He reluctantly rolled out of bed and moved through the apartment he shared with Sam, his little brother, and got ready for his day.

He worked full-time at the mechanic shop he started a few years back with his Uncle Bobby. Bobby wasn’t really his uncle, but Dean had grown up calling him that since he was practically family.

They had started the business together to help get Dean up on his feet. Bobby ran the business aspect of it while Dean managed everything to do with the cars. From time to time Bobby would work on a car or two, but it was mainly Dean and Jo who worked on them.

Jo also worked with him at the bar. They’d work week days at the shop and then drive over to the Roadhouse Bar & Grille every night where Dean would bartend and Jo would waitress. Jo’s mom, Ellen, was the owner of the place and had given Dean the job after they’d become friends at the shop. She knew that Dean needed the extra cash and was always willing to help him out whenever he needed it. He was like a son to her.

Dean finished getting ready for work in his usual grey t-shirt with a dark blue button up overshirt, unbuttoned of course, his dark jeans with a couple of holes in them, and his work boots. He threw on his dark green canvas jacket, grabbed his keys, and headed out the door.

It wasn’t too bad of a day as he made his way to his baby, a black 1967 chevy impala that had been handed down to him on his sixteenth birthday from his father. This car was his baby and everyone who knew him knew that. No one touched baby.

He pulled up in front of his favorite café and shut off the engine. He noticed that it was pretty packed, but he couldn’t go in to work without his coffee. There was no way he’d make it through the day.

Dean walked through the doors and stood in line. He wasn’t paying much attention until he heard the man in front of him give his order to the young lady behind the counter. His voice was deep, rough, and sent a shiver down Dean’s spine that he hadn’t been expecting. The man was wearing a long, tan trenchcoat, black slacks, and some expensive looking shoes.

Dean couldn’t help but check the guy out. Even though all he could see from this point was the back of him and some unruly black hair that made Dean want to run this fingers through it.

_Whoah there. Get ahold of yourself, Dean. This guy is obviously straight. Besides, you need to get a grip on yourself. You don’t even know him._

Dean took a deep breath, steadying himself. As the man walked away and stood in the other line waiting for his coffee, Dean took the opportunity to check him out further from the corner of his eye and he was not disappointed.

The three-day stubble that ran along his jaw did wonders on Dean’s heartbeat. He stepped forward and concentrated on giving the lady the right drink order. He paid for his coffee and moved to the waiting line where he just so happened to be able to stand next to the man who made his heartbeat run a marathon.

As Dean moved to the next line, his eyes locked with the man in the trench coat. His eyes were the bluest blue Dean had ever seen and he seemed to get sucked right into them.

He realized that he had held the stare for a moment too long and quickly looked away as a blush slid up his cheeks. Usually he was pretty good at starting up a conversation with someone he didn’t know, but his throat didn’t want to work.

That’s when he heard a familiar voice call out his name. “Dean! Hey, man! I didn’t know you came here!” He turned around and saw the familiar small frame of his friend walking towards him. “Gabe! It finally makes sense! You’re a midget because of all the caffeine you absorb. You know I heard it stunts your growth.”

Gabe chuckled and was about to say something else when he noticed the man standing next to Dean turn towards them. “Cassie?! I didn’t know you came here either! Now that’s just sad.”

Dean’s heart about stopped. He couldn’t possibly know the man who he’d been fantasizing about this whole time…could he? He turned around to see who Gabe was talking to. And it just so happened to be the man with the most amazing blue eyes.

Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments before the man turned to look at Gabe. “I’ve told you before, Gabriel, that I come here often. It is not my fault that you don’t listen.” Gabe rolled his eyes, but turned back to him. “Dean-o, this is my little brother Cassie. Cassie, this is Dean-o. We work together at the bar.”

The man extended his hand towards Dean’s and he accepted, shaking his hand. He really didn’t want to let go, but he reluctantly did. . “Castiel. Gabriel likes to come up with nicknames from time to time.” Dean chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, so I’ve noticed. He gave me one the first time we met.”

He still remembered the first time Gabe had called him Dean-o. He had wanted to punch the short man at first, but it had grown on him after awhile. “Castiel! Dean! Your coffees are ready.”

Dean and Castiel stepped forward together and accepted their coffees from the lady behind the counter. As they stepped back to Gabriel, Dean was going to start up a conversation, but his phone rang. “Sorry, excuse me.”

He took a step away from the brothers and answered his phone. “Sammy! What’s up?”

“Dean. We have a problem. I just got a call from Dad. He said he’s coming down in two weeks.” Dean’s face fell. Whenever their father came down for a visit, it always ended in an argument, always.

“It’s okay, Sammy. You know Dad. He’ll complain for a bit about how we’re making complete mistakes of our lives and then before you know it he’ll be gone. We survived the last time and we’ll survive it this time.”

“Yeah, but Dean. This time I have a boyfriend. And…and I’m going to tell him. It’s not fair to Gabe for me not to and…he’s family. I don’t want to hide who I am anymore. He’s our dad, Dean.”

Dean nodded, trying to figure out just how bad this was going to be. “Okay. Okay, I get it. But I’m not telling him about me. I don’t have a boyfriend and I couldn’t care less if he knew anything about me. Mom knows and that’s good enough for me. But, I’ll be there when you tell him. You have to make sure I’m there otherwise…I don’t want to think about what would happen. We’ll talk more later, right now I’m on my way to work.” He heard a sigh on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, I was hoping you’d say that actually. But yeah, I’ll talk to you later. I’ll see you when you get home from the bar. Hell, maybe I’ll even stop by for a beer.” He smiled at the thought of Sam stopping by the bar later. “Sounds good, see you then, Sammy.”

He hung up the phone, slipped it back into his pocket and stepped back over to Gabe and Cas. “Well, that was Sammy. He was having a mental breakdown.” He could tell that Gabe was instantly worried, but Cas spoke up. “Sammy?” He nodded, giving the man a small smile. “Yeah, my little brother.” Cas nodded and turned to Gabriel.

“Is this the same Sam that you’re dating?” He watched Gabe nod and smile sheepishly. “Sure is. Dean-o here introduced us. Well, more like Samsquatch came into the bar one night looking for him and I introduced myself, but you get the picture, Cassie. So, what was my poor Samsquatch worrying about this time?”

He rolled his eyes. “It seems Dad decided that he wants to pay us a visit in two weeks. Sam’s kind of freaking out about it already.”

He watched as Gabe’s eyebrow seemed to become one with confusion. He had to resist the urge to laugh at the ridiculous look on his face. “Isn’t that good? He said he hasn’t seen his dad in quite awhile.” Dean shifted from one foot to the other, really starting to get uncomfortable. Then he thought of an idea. A way to let Cas know that he was single without actually coming straight out with it.

“Well the thing is…Sam hasn’t quite told our parents about him being gay. Okay, neither of us have, but he’s the one with the boyfriend so when Dad comes down he’s decided he’s going to tell him. And Dad’s kind of…just slightly homophobic.”

There. Now he had made sure that Cas knew he was on the market, so to speak. “And by slightly, you mean he may have an aneurysm when he finds out.” Dean looked up at Cas and couldn’t resist the urge to wince. “I think that may be putting it mildly to be honest. But, I better get headed to work before I’m late. I’ll see you later at the bar, Gabe. And it was nice meeting you, Cas.”

He reached out, grabbing Cas’s hand and squeezed slightly, throwing the man a quick, melting smile before he dropped his hand and left the café.

The only thing that pushed him out the door was that he really did have to get to work because he was running late. He knew that there was no getting that man off of his mind. There was just no way.

He sighed internally and as he slid into the impala he made a silent promise to himself to get Gabe to bring him around more often. He had a feeling that Cas wasn’t some ordinary guy. Or at least not the kind of guys that Dean usually met. No, he was different. And Dean was determined to get to know him better. 


	2. Some Ex Trouble (Re-Done)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's ex shows up. Fit hits the Shan.  
> THIS IS THE EDITED, RE-DONE VERSION. THIS IS THE SECOND VERSION OF CHAPTER TWO. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ CHAPTER 2 EARLIER TODAY, PLEASE RE-READ THIS CHAPTER. CONTAINS MORE INFORMATION. 
> 
> Thank you! ^.^ Sorry about the replaced chapter....that's my bad. Anyways, I hope to have Chapter 3 up soon!

**Chapter 2**

Dean strolled casually through the doors of the mechanic shop coffee in hand. They didn’t have any appointments for another couple of hours and so far there were no unexpected customers.

The shop wasn’t all _that_ big, but it was decent sized. Bobby had insisted they name the shop Singer And Son since he had started it with Bobby and they had been family for most of Dean’s life. Shortly thereafter, Jo became family as well. Dean liked to joke that she was in the title as well with her tomboy ways. They had enough garage space to work on four cars at once, but they only had two mechanics at the moment. Dean was in the process of finding two more. Two brothers had worked for him and then suddenly quit out of the blue saying they were going on cross-country road trip. Something about hunting down monsters and demons. Dean didn’t ask for more details. He had already written them up as nuts.

There was a medium-sized office, which he and Bobby shared. There was a front waiting area along with a front desk where all the shop records and appointments were kept. That was another thing on Dean’s to-do list. Their receptionist? She had decided to get married and become a stay at home wife. She had also mentioned something about writing slash fiction. She had always went on about something called Destiel and Wincest. It blew right over Dean’s head and he would usually just tune it out.

They had employee locker rooms at the back of the shop where Jo and Dean would shower and change before their shifts at the Roadhouse. It saved them from having to both go home beforehand.

Jo poked her head around the corner from the office and narrowed her eyes. “Okay, why are you in such a good mood? You’re never smiling when you walk in here. What’s up?”

Dean rolled his eyes and walked into the office, plopping down in his chair in the office he shared with Bobby. He was rarely in his office, so they figured it would just be easier to share one. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jo. It’s just been another regular morning so far.”

She rolled her eyes as well and sat cross-legged on the chair on the other side of his desk, staring him down, studying him. “I don’t believe you. You met someone, didn’t you? Ooooh, I’m right! Who is he? What’s his name?”

Bobby chuckled under his breath and continued looking over some papers he had to sign for some parts they had to order. “How the hell do you do that? You’re like a damn mind reader, I swear.”

Jo snorted, but scooted closer. “Spill, Dean Winchester. I want to hear every detail.” He sighed, but relented. “His name’s Castiel. He-.”

“Wait, do you mean Gabe’s little brother Casitel?!” He nodded, his brow furrowing. “I didn’t know he even had a brother before this morning. How the hell did you know?” She just stared at him with an incredulous look on her face. “Because I pay attention when he talks, duh. He’s always bragging about his little brother, the art teacher down at the university.” Dean suddenly sat forward with a thunk. “He’s an art teacher?! …I can see it. He’s got that vibe. Have you ever met him?”

Jo nodded, “Of course, I have. He’s been in the bar before, genius. I swear, if you weren’t so good-looking sometimes…You’re working tonight at the bar, right?” He nodded, “Yeah, of course. I’m your ride. Man, if it weren’t for your good looks…”

Jo rolled her eyes, but stood up. “If y’all will excuse me. I have some plottin’ to do.” Dean abd Bobby shared a look as she walked out of the office. “Good luck, boy. You may need it if she’s plottin’ somethin’. Best be on yer toes for the rest of the day. Maybe the rest of the week knowing her.”

Dean sighed and got to work on some paperwork that he needed to fill out and sign for the shop. It took him a good half hour to finish it. Right as he was finishing his last signature, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He slipped it out and noticed that he had a text from Gabriel. _Hey dude, just thought I would let you know ‘Cas’ will be at the bar tonight. So you best be on your best behavior. ;)_

He was suddenly quite nervous to go into work later on that night. He sent a quick reply back: _No worries. I don’t plan on turning him gay. Although, who could resist a charmer like me?;)_

He slid his phone back into his pocket and walked out into the front waiting area to see if they had any customers. Thankfully, someone had just walked through the door. “Can I help you with something?”

The woman smiled flirtatiously when she saw him. He heard Jo chuckle from somewhere behind him as he approached her. “My car’s making this god-awful noise. I was hoping you could take a look at it?” He smiled kindly at her and asked her to pull her car around and into the garage. He walked through the shop and met her back in the garage. When she pulled it in, he had her pop the hood and he took a look. She moved to stand off to the right and just behind him, giving her the perfect view of his ass.

He knew she was mercilessly flirting with him and checking him out, but he just didn’t roll that way. “Okay, I see your problem. It’s an easy fix and I won’t even charge you. A few things just came unattached, no problem to fix. Just give me about ten minutes and you’ll be good to go. You can have a seat in the waiting room while I’m working on it.”

Her smile widened. “Oh no, that’s okay. I don’t mind.” He bit his lip and ducked back under the hood getting to work. Flirting with men? That he could do just fine, but he felt bad flirting with a woman given he would never be able to reciprocate her feelings. It was best to just not say anything, he figured.

He got to work fixing up her car and she studiously checked him out inch by inch. Suddenly, the door opened and in strolled none other than Agent Henrickson, Dean’s ex. He stopped short as he watched the woman continuously checking Dean out without him paying much attention and Jo in the background chuckling to herself. It didn’t seem that Dean had noticed him walk in yet. He was immersed in whatever he was doing underneath the hood of the woman’s car.

Jo looked up and saw Victor walking towards Dean. Her eyes widened, knowing that a fight was going to go down. There was always a fight when the two of them were in the same room for more than a minute. “Dean, um…visitor.” She thought she’d give him a little bit of a heads up.

But it seemed she was too late. Victor poked his head around the hood of the car and Dean looked up surprised. He stood up, not expecting him to be the one standing there, and smacked the back of his head on the hood. He let a couple of profanities slip under his breath as he rubbed the back of his head, taking a step away from the car.

“Victor. What are you doing here?” Victor feigned hurt and looked at Dean with a slight look of disgust. “Just came to check up on you is all. Can’t I check up on my boyfriend from time to time?”

Dean grit his teeth and held his ground, not liking where this was going. “Victor, we broke up three weeks ago and ever since then all we seem to do is argue, so no, you can’t come ‘check-up’ on me.” Realization set in on the woman’s face and her shoulders sagged just the slightest bit. Victor seemed to notice it because he gave her a wicked smile.

“Oh, are you disappointed that he wasn’t checking you out too? Sorry, he’s into guys. Wrong sex.” Dean practically growled at him, “Victor, either stop being rude or get the hell out of here. Or how about you just get the hell out.” He rolled his eyes and took a step away from Dean, looking around the shop.

“I came here for a reason, you know. Aren’t you even the least bit curious as to why that is?” Dean rolled his eyes and figured he might as well get back to work, so he went back to what he was doing. “No, not really.”

“Tsk, tsk, Dean. Having that kind of attitude with a federal agent can get you into bucket loads of trouble, you know.”

Dean stood up again and looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. “Are you seriously threatening me? In my own shop? You know what, this is my property so I’m going to have to ask you to leave. And don’t come back unless you’re either going to arrest me or you have some warrant. And you have no reason for either. Jo, can you please escort him to the door. Oh, and Victor? Don’t let it hit you on the way out.”

He went back to working on the car, silently fuming, as he watched Jo show him the way to the door from the corner of his eye. She was more than happy to see him out. He had no business being there anyway. Bobby appeared in the doorway, having heard the entire conversation from the office. He watched Dean work tensely, trying to keep his frustration down. As Jo walked back through the shop, she caught Bobby’s eye. They were both worried about why he had been there. Every time the man had shown up, it was to cause more trouble for Dean.

That wasn’t the first time that Dean had kicked him off the property and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Their relationship had been a shock to everyone who knew Dean. Victor was nowhere near Dean’s type, but the two had been attracted to one another. It had started off great. They had spent most of their free time together and had even moved in together. Victor had often stopped by the bar while Dean was working to flirt. Then one night Dean caught Victor eyeing a guy from across the bar. When he’d asked him about it, Victor had merely said they were co-workers. That night, Dean got home a little early from the bar. When he walked in, he found Victor and the guy he’d been eyeing all night in their bed. He’d been furious, but he’d also been hurt. He packed his stuff that night, telling the guy not to worry, that he was leaving. Victor had tried to talk him into staying, but Dean had just told him to go to hell, and that had been the end of it. Dean moved into Sam’s apartment and that’s the way things were now. He was living with his little brother, but he didn’t mind.

The whole thing with Victor gave him some trust issues. That was to be expected, of course, after walking in on his boyfriend cheating on him. It had taken a little while to get back up on his feet and ready to get out there, but a week ago he had decided he was ready. He was just looking for the right guy to get back out there with.

He finished up the car he was working on and turned back to the woman with a semi-forced smile. If she could tell it was faked, she didn’t comment. “There we go, all fixed. I hope what you witnessed earlier didn’t scare you off. I promise it’s not always that exciting.”

She smiled politely at him and nodded. “Of course not. I can definitely relate to asshole ex’s. Thanks again for this. I’ll definitely be referring you.” This time his smile was more genuine as he watched her climb into her car and drive away. Well, at least he would be getting some more business out of it.

He turned and saw Bobby and Jo watching him. “What?” Bobby rolled his eyes, but went back into his office. He didn’t get so lucky with Jo. “What do you think that was all about? He seemed especially dick-ish today.”

Dean shrugged his shoulders, wiping his hands off on the rag he kept in his back pocket. “Who knows. I have a feeling he’ll be back though.”

He felt his phone go off once more and slipped it out. Gabriel had texted him back. _You are so clueless sometimes, it surprises me. With all those good looks. You’d think you’d be smarter. Huh. Guess we’ll have to just see what happens tonight then, won’t we? ;)_

He had absolutely no idea what he meant, so he just slipped his phone back into his pocket, not even bothering to reply. The day went on slowly until around lunch when business quickly picked up. Soon, he had no time to dwell on what Gabriel could possibly have meant by his last text.

He went about his day, fixing cars, flirting a little bit with customers to get them to loosen up a bit and hopefully come back. He and Jo would throw the usual insults towards each other. It was practically tradition to make fun of each other as they worked. Bobby would always roll his eyes at the two of them and mutter something under his breath. Dean swears it sounded like he was saying idjits, but he couldn’t be sure.

Soon it was closing time. Dean and Jo left Bobby to do his usual rounds as they showered, changed, and made their way over to the Roadhouse to start their shifts there.

**SPN**

Dean was glad it was getting to be a slow night at the bar that night. He was exhausted from working at the shop all day and could use the mellower pace. There weren’t many customers that night since it was a Monday and most people had work the next day, so they stayed home. They got the usual bar junkies, sports lovers who came for beer, bar nuts, and the tv, and then they had the occasional family who came in for a sit-down meal.

Dean leaned up against the counter and took a deep breath, letting everything that had happened that day take over his mind. He didn’t really want to think about it, but there was nothing else to do.

Gabe walked around the corner and could practically see the anxiety rolling off of Dean. “What’s got your panties in a twist, Dean-o?” He rolled his eyes and looked over at Gabe who was slowly wiping down the bar. “Victor came into the shop earlier. Almost scared off a customer.”

Gabe stopped what he was doing and turned towards him. “You’re kidding. What the hell did that dickwad want? More ego stroking?”

He couldn’t help but laugh and let his anxiety slowly slip away. “Who knows. I told him to get off the property unless he was going to arrest me or he had a warrant. And then Jo escorted him to the door.”

Gabe pulled out a twix bar seemingly from nowhere and stared munching on it. “Better be careful. Knowing him he’ll show up one of these days and he really will arrest you. Wouldn’t put it past him. I always did picture him as a kinky son of a bitch.”

“Who’s a kinky son of a bitch?” Sam just happened to walk into the bar at that particular time and catch it. Dean rolled his eyes and pointed towards Gabe, making Gabe roll his eyes as well.

Sam walked up to the bar and sat down on one of the stools. Dean pulled a beer out and set it down in front of him, earning a thankful smile from Sam. Gabe made his way over to the brothers and continued talking around the remainder of his twix. “Dean-o here was just telling me about how the ex from Hell was at the shop today.”

Sam’s eyebrows flew up his forehead and he looked at Dean. “What’d he want? More trouble?” Dean sighed and shrugged. “Probably. Jo escorted him out before he got down to business. But it wasn’t until after he managed to almost scare off a customer and threaten me. That guy’s a douche.”

Sam practically choked on his beer as Gabe choked on his candy bar. Dean couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them. “Wait, you never said he threatened you! What did he say?”

He busied himself with straightening out some of the bottles while he talked. “All he said was having a lot of attitude with a federal agent can get me into a lot of trouble. So I had Jo show him the door. It’s no big deal. He’s all talk and no action.”

“More like too much action if you ask me,” Gabe muttered under his breath, which caused Dean to shoot him a glare. It was at that moment that Mr. High and Mighty himself decided to make an appearance. Dean sighed when he saw him come in. He had had a feeling he’d show up that night. Sam and Gabe tensed, which caused Jo to tense as she walked by. They were all prepared for the worst.

Victor sat at the very end of the bar, the furthest away from Sam and their group. Dean walked over to him, not intending on serving him, just finding out what he wanted.

“So, what? You’re stalking me now?” Victor rolled his eyes. “You wish you were that special, Dean. No, I merely came here to give you something.”

At Dean’s lack of reply, he pulled out a manila envelope from his suit jacket and laid it on the bar in between them. Dean didn’t even look at it. “What’s that?”

“Why don’t you open it and you’ll find out.” Dean stared at him for a moment before finally opening the envelope. He pulled out some papers and stared at the first page.

Cas walked in while no one was paying attention. Gabe, Jo, Sam and now Ellen were watching what was going on between Dean and another man sitting at the bar. As Cas approached, he realized that they couldn’t hear what was being said, but it was obvious whatever was going on wasn’t good. Sam jumped as Cas sat down next to him.

“What’s going on?” Gabe turned towards his little brother with the most serious look on his face Cas had ever seen. “That’s Dean’s ex, Victor. Every time they see each other ever since they broke up they do nothing but argue. The guy had the nerve to show up at Dean’s shop earlier today and threaten him. Now he shows up at his other job and it doesn’t look like it’s going very well…”

Dean was staring at the papers in his hand incredulously. He looked up at Victor in confusion. “You’re suing me? For what?” Sam and the others still couldn’t hear what was going on. Dean made sure to keep his voice down so far. He didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention.

“I’m suing you for theft. After you left, I found two thousand dollars missing from my account. You’re the one I was with. So, I’m suing you for it.” Dean just stared at him for moment, trying to figure out if he was actually serious.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Victor shook his head, completely serious. And that’s when all of Dean’s self-control crumbled.

“You’re telling me that you’re suing me for stealing two thousand dollars that you damn well know I don’t have? I’m working two jobs and yet you really think that I went and stole your damn money?”

Victor only shrugged which made Dean even angrier. “You have some nerve, you know that? Coming to both places where I work, threatening me at one and then suing me at another? Did you ever stop to think that maybe it was the guy you _cheated_ _on me_ with that stole your damn money? I don’t want anything to do with you and you know that. So then why the hell would I steal two thousand dollars? You’re unbelievable.”

“He wasn’t the one pissed as high hell that night. And frankly, you didn’t have to leave. You could have stayed and had some fun. It didn’t have to end the way it did. You just overreacted.” Dean blanched. “Overreacted? You think I overreacted. We were in a serious relationship where we were living together. I came home and caught you cheating on me and yet you think I’m overreacting?”

Victor rolled his eyes. “You always were one for over theatrics, you know that, Dean? So why don’t you just hand over the money and I’ll forget this even happened. I’ll drop the lawsuit and we can both go our merry ways, never seeing each other again.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth. “I don’t have your damn money, Victor. We were together for quite a while and you know me pretty well, so you should know that I wouldn’t just take your money. I don’t take money from anyone. Not even from self-absorbed, egotistical, douchebags.”

His voice was starting to rise the angrier he got. “How about you take your damn high and mighty self and get the hell out. I never want to see you again. Do you hear me? If you so much as step one foot into my shop again without a warrant, I’ll be the one doing the suing. Now get the hell out.”

Victor leaned forward on his elbows. “This isn’t your property, babe. You can’t kick me out, remember?” Suddenly Ellen was standing behind Dean. “No, but I can. Now I suggest you get the hell out of here before I call the cops. I don’t give a rats ass if you are one or not. I’ll have you arrested for harassment of one of my employees. And don’t even think about coming back without a warrant either.”

They weren’t sure what exactly had gone down between Dean and Victor, but they all knew that it was bad. They watched as Victor stood and made his way to the door, glaring at Dean the entire way. “I’ll see you in court, Dean.” With that, he left and Dean was left with silence.

The entire bar had fallen into silence as Dean’s voice had risen when he told him to get out. No one moved, not sure what to do or say. Finally, Dean stared down at the papers he’d thrown back down onto the bar. “What the hell did he mean by, ‘See you in court’?” Dean glanced back at Sam while Ellen picked the top page up to get a better look. She read it over and then looked up at Dean. “I know for a damn fact that you didn’t do this. So why the hell is he suing you for it?”

He shook his head, suddenly exhausted with everything that had happened. He picked up the papers and they moved down the bar to where their group was. He set the papers down in front of Sam. “Know any good lawyers?” Sam looked up at him, worried. He was still in law school, so he couldn’t represent him. “Actually, I do. Let me look at these.”

Dean suddenly realized that Cas had joined the group at some point and gave him a tired smile. “Looks like you showed up just in time for the show.” Cas looked up at him with a reassuring smile. “Nothing like a little excitement to liven things up.” Dean snorted and suddenly he felt a little better. He wasn’t sure why. He was being sued by his ex-boyfriend who couldn’t seem to leave him alone, he didn’t have the money for a lawyer, and he was single when he didn’t want to be. His smile turned genuine as he chuckled to himself.

Gabe watched as Dean seemed to lighten up a bit, basically from just a smile his little brother threw his way. He smiled to himself as he watched the two silently flirt, throwing looks in the other’s direction. It was like watching someone get sucked into something. They both seemed to be hypnotized by the other. Sam looked up from the papers and noticed Gabe watching Dean and Cas, which made him watch the two. A smile slowly spread across his face as he realized his brother liked Cas.

“Um, if you don’t mind, Dean, I’ll take these to one of my professors and talk about the best course of action. And I’ll find you an affordable lawyer.” Dean broke his eye contact with Cas and looked at Sam. “Yeah, sounds great. I really appreciate it. Comes in handy having a law student as your little pain-in-the-ass brother.”

Sam rolled his eyes, but smiled, trying to keep the air light. He knew Dean had enough on his plate and wanted to see his brother happy instead of stressed out. “Hey, Gabe, will you come here for a sec?”

Gabe stepped away from Dean and Cas, who started up a small conversation while Dean wiped down some glasses absentmindedly. “Yes, my Samsquatch?” Sam rolled his eyes, but he secretly loved the nickname his boyfriend had given him.

“We need to get those two together. I don’t know about Castiel, but it’s obvious Dean likes him since he’s already getting less stressed out. It’s not easy to de-stress, Dean. Especially when it’s about Henrickson.”

Gabe nodded, looking back at the two. “I agree. When they met this morning at the café, they seemed to hit it off. Dean-o even gave Cassie a nickname right off the bat. He started calling him Cas.” Sam’s eyes widened. “They met this morning?”

Gabe looked back at him and smiled. “Yeah, they were standing right next to each in line. If it hadn’t been for me walking in, they probably wouldn’t have even spoken to each other. As soon as I walked in the doors, I was almost knocked off my feet by the sheer sexual tension alone. Hell, it’s radiating off of them.”

Sam snorted and looked at his big brother. He was laughing softly at something Cas had said. “Called him Cas, huh? I think we should brainstorm later. Maybe even get Jo in on it.” Gabe’s face lit up. “Oh, you’re on. This is going to be sweeter than my sweet tooth.” Sam closed his eyes, laughing at Gabe. He had a soft spot for that man. Jo materialized next to Sam and dropped her voice so that only he and Gabe could hear her. “Is it just me or are Dean and Castiel really hitting it off?”

They filled her in on their plan. She was definitely in. She held her hand out to both of them. “Operation: Boyfriend is hereby in action.” Sam and Gabe both rolled their eyes, but put their hands in, getting pumped to get their brothers together.


	3. Operation: Boyfriend Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let Operation: Boyfriend commence. Day one.

**Chapter 3- Day 1 (Tuesday)**

“Okay, the job’s simple really. Someone comes in having car trouble, you take their name and number first thing. You write it down in here. You ask them what’s wrong with it, you also write it down in here. You ask them to have a seat and someone will be right out. Then you walk back to the garage and get either Jo or myself. If we’re both busy, get Bobby. Simple enough. So, you good?”

Charlie Bradbury nodded quickly. “Yeah, sounds good. Although, I do have a system in mind on my laptop that would make it much faster to take down their info and more accessible than writing it down in a book. For one, unlimited space. Don’t have to go buy a new book.”

Dean smiled kindly. “Alright, that’s your job. Do it whatever way’s easiest. I just want all the information, just in case.” She saluted him as he walked back into the garage. He had just hired her as their new receptionist. Now he was on his way to hire more mechanics.

Dean had finally gotten around to sorting through applications and had found two that he liked the best. They had both been mechanics before and were able to start whenever. Perfect for the job, in Dean’s book.

“Which one of you is Adam and which one is Ash?” A guy who was just a couple of inches shorter than Dean, and who also had a mullet that was about twenty years too late, turned around and stuck his hand towards Dean. “Name’s Dr. Badass. You can call me Ash.” Dean couldn’t help the smirk that drifted onto his face.

He accepted the guy’s hand and nodded. “Well, nice to meet you, Ash. You must be Adam then?” The other guy nodded, seeming a bit shy. He kind of reminded Dean of someone, but he wasn’t quite sure who yet. It was at the tip of his tongue, but just sat there.

“Yep, that’s me. So, um…when do we start?” Dean smiled, right down to business. “Well, if it’s convenient, then now. I’ve been needing two more mechanics for a couple of weeks now. We’ve been getting slammed it just being Jo and I. The mornings usually tend to be somewhat slow, but in a couple of hours things will pick up fast.”

Ash and Adam nodded. They were both able to start, so Dean showed them around the garage, showing them where everything is and explaining how he runs things. “I’m pretty laidback. Just be sure to be on time. If you’re going to be late, call it in. I have to ask that you ask off for work at least a week in advance. No dress code, though its common sense on what to wear obviously. Oh, and just don’t scare off the customers. I had one guy who had a customer running out of here, threatening to sue him. I never got the whole story on that one, so…just don’t do whatever the hell he did. Any questions?”

They shook their heads and that was that. He officially had two new mechanics who were ready to go. “Okay, Jo should be here any minute. She called in saying she’d be late. My advice…don’t hit on her. She might punch you.”

Ash snorted, possibly accepting the challenge, Dean wasn’t sure. Adam looked a little frightened. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the two of them to make sure they could handle the pressure of working for the busiest mechanics shop the town had. He walked back through the garage and into his office.

Bobby was on the phone ordering some parts they needed so he sat down at his desk, flipping through the schedule of the day. He was just about to go see if anyone had shown up yet when his cell phone went off. He slid it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. Sam was calling him.

“Heya, Sammy. Aren’t you supposed to be in class right about now?” He heard Sam chuckle on the other line and let a smile of his own grace his face.

“Yeah, but the teacher cancelled class. I don’t have class for a couple of hours so I thought I’d call, see what’s up.”

Dean chuckled, flipping the schedule book closed and sliding it into his drawer. “I’m at the stop. Just hired three new people. Finally got a receptionist and two new mechanics.”

“Oh! That’s cool, cool. So what are they like?” Dean raised an eyebrow, growing slightly suspicious, but letting it drop for now.

“Well, the girl I hired, she’s pretty cool so far. Seems like a total nerd, which hey! It’s better than a freak. So far I don’t wanna strangle her. One of the mechanics is stuck about twenty years in the past, mullet and all. Even called himself Dr. Badass if you can believe that. The other kid seems cool. Kind of shy, but I think he’ll open up once he gets comfortable.”

“Dr. Badass? Are you kidding me? I haven’t seen anyone with a mullet since…I can’t even remember when. Have they met Jo yet?”

“No, they haven’t. I’m waiting for that show to go down any minute now actually. I’ve been thinking about taking bets with Bobby on whether or not they’ll get punched on their first day. I kept the stack of applications on my desk just in case she’s a bit too much to handle. You know Jo.”

He heard Sam laugh on the other end and his smile widened. That kid was his pride and joy, he’d never hesitate to admit that. “Oh man, you gotta get pictures or something. Hide a camera somewhere and record it.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “You do remember that I have surveillance cameras both inside the garage and outside, right? I don’t have to hide a camera, they’re already there. But hey, are you stoppin’ by the bar tonight?”

“Yeah, my last class ends about six and then I’ll head over. I have to talk to Jo anywa-. Um, so Gabe told me you ran into Castiel at the café yesterday. Did you go this morning?”

Dean sat up in his chair, placing his elbows on his desk. So that was why Sam was calling. “No, I made coffee at home this morning. I was running late and wouldn’t have time to stand in line. That place is like a frickin’ mad house in the morning. Normal people shouldn’t be up that early.”

Sam started laughing and Dean knew he was rolling his eyes. “Dean, you’re up that early. You’re gone before I even get up. What does that make you?”

“Crazy. That makes me a crazy person. It also makes me a business owner who needs to open up shop and make sure everything is in order before hell breaks loose.”

Dean looked up at the clock, briefly wondering where Jo was. He looked over at Bobby to see he had wrapped up his call and was looking through the window, seemingly fascinated by something. He stood and walked over to the window, peering out into the garage. He watched as Jo flung herself into Ash’s arms and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Uhh, Sammy, I’m going to have to let you go. I’ll see you tonight.” He ended the call without even waiting for a response, slipped it into his pocket, and walked out into the garage, Bobby right behind him.

"Jo! I see you’ve met our new mechanics.” Jo whipped around to see Dean and Bobby walking towards them and released her hold on Ash. “Yeah, Ash and I go way back. We grew up together actually. The other kid I don’t know.”

Dean chuckled and introduced her to Adam as he approached. “We also have a new receptionist. Her name is Charlie. She’s out front if you wanna go introduce yourself to her so she knows who you are. Oh, and why don’t you take these two with you.”

Dean watches the three walk away and turns to Bobby. “Let’s hope things go well with Dr. Badass, Ms. Geek, and Mr. Close-Lipped.” Bobby snorts at the nicknames, but goes back into the office and back to the paperwork he has to fill out for some parts.

It doesn’t take long for the business to pick up and soon Dean’s running around making sure everyone knows what they’re doing. Between making sure Charlie’s getting all the proper information and making sure Ash and Adam don’t catch anything on fire, he’s already worn out. He made sure to watch the first couple of cars the two worked on separately, just to make sure they knew what they were doing. If there was a problem, he planned on stepping in, but they were doing rather well for their first day.

Dean just got back from his hour lunch break, checked on all the newbies, and settled into his chair when Jo walked into the office.

“Hey Dean, Castiel’s here. He’s having car trouble. Figured you’d want to take care if it yourself.” She threw a wink his way as he rolled his eyes, barely able to contain his excitement at getting to see Cas. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt like a school girl when it came to this guy. Something about him just made him happy.

He walked into the office and spotted Cas talking to Charlie at the desk. “Cas! So, I hear you’re having some car trouble?” Cas looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

“It seems that way. It was perfectly fine this morning when I went to work, but when I went to leave, it wouldn’t start. I had to call a tow truck. I remembered Gabe saying you owned this place, so I figured it’d be the best place to go.”

Dean couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face at his words. “Of course! Best place in town. I’ll have the truck bring her around to the garage and I’ll take a look at her myself.” Cas smiled properly this time and nodded. “It would be much appreciated, Dean.”

All he could do was smile as he stepped outside to tell the tow truck driver to bring the car into the garage. He walked to the garage from the outside instead of making the trip back through the way he had come.

When Cas’s car was in the garage, ready to be worked on, he popped the hood and had a look at what he was dealing with. Immediately, he saw at least three things right off the bat. They were easy fixes and wouldn’t cost any money.

He spent a good ten minutes working on it. He smiled as he looked once more to see if he’d missed anything under the hood. When he didn’t see anything, he tried starting it. And it didn’t work. He frowned down at the steering wheel as if it had something to do with it.

He opened up the fuse box and started testing all of the fuses. And that’s where his problem was, he thought.

He got out of the car and made his way into the waiting room where Cas was seated, chatting with Charlie to pass the time. He looked up as Dean walked in.

“Well, let me just say that I’m pretty sure someone was trying to play a prank or something because there were several things unattached. They either knew what they were doing or were just pulling random shit and hoping it wouldn’t start. I also found a couple of blown fuses. Super easy to replace and only a few bucks, I won’t even charge you for them. It’s not worth it. I’m pretty sure that’s where the problem is. I won’t know for certain if that’s all they did until I change the fuses.”

Cas nodded, taking it all in. “I don’t want to have you go through all this work and not pay for anything. It isn’t fair, especially with getting new fuses. I don’t mind paying for them.”

Dean smiled as he pulled out the rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands off, just now realizing he had gotten grease on them. “Cas, it’s no problem, really. Don’t worry about it. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to replace the fuses and you should be good to go. I’ll be back out when it’s done.” He turned to Charlie before he left. “And don’t let him pay for anything. The boss says.” He threw a quick wink at Cas, earning him a small blush, and left the waiting area.

He walked back into the garage, pulled out some new fuses, and got to work replacing the blown ones. It only took a couple of minutes, like he had said. He turned the key, but it still wouldn’t start. Again he stared down at the steering wheel with a frown on his face. “You know, the steering wheel didn’t do anything wrong, ya idjit. It’s no use scowling at it.”

Dean looked up to see Bobby had practically materialized right next to him. “Oh ha ha, Bobby. I can’t seem to get it to start. I plugged the spark plug wires back in, plugged in the ignition module, plugged the injectors back in, and changed a couple of blown fuses, and still it won’t start. It seems like I’m fixing one small problem only to find another small problem. They’re easy to fix, but there’s so many.”

Bobby nodded, running through a mental list of what else could possibly be wrong. “Did you check the computer?” Dean mentally slapped his forehead. He sure felt like an idiot. “Uhh, that was the next thing on my list.”

Bobby rolled his eyes. He watched as Dean opened up the bottom of the driver’s side dashboard and reconnected the wires. “There we go! Now we should start up…” He turned the key, and again nothing happened. “Okay, what the hell. Whoever messed with this had to have known what they were doing.”

Bobby frowned and went to look under the hood. “It looks like you got everything from this end. I don’t see anything else. Did you have a look underneath yet?”

“No, I was hoping it was all on top. It didn’t seem to be anything bigger than a couple of pulled wires. I’ll have a look, see if there’s anything down there.”

Dean pulled himself out of the car and laid down on the ground, crawling underneath to get a better look. He started messing around with some wires, moving them around to get a better look at a couple of things. “Well, I don’t see much. Oh. Wait, hang on. I think I see the problem right here.”

Bobby waited for a moment for Dean to explain. When he didn’t, he got impatient. “Well? What is it? What do you see, boy?”

Dean chuckled to himself at Bobby’s impatience. “It looks like a coil was cut. Let me just…Ah, you’re fucking kidding me…”

Bobby’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. He knelt down on the ground to see what had happened and couldn’t resist the laugh that bubbled up from his chest at what he saw. Dean was lying in a puddle of oil and was covered in it. He’d definitely be needing a shower before heading off to his next job.

Dean glared at Bobby as he pulled the rag he always kept in his back pocket out and wiped his face the best he could. He rattled off some tools and such he would need to fix the coil and got to work. He had already emptied the car of oil, so there was no need to get an oil pan. Once he was all done with that, which took a good ten minutes or so, he crawled back out from under the car and looked down at himself. He had worn a dark grey t-shirt that day and about half of it was now soaked in black oil, along with his arms, neck, face, hair. He reached into the car, turned the key, and it finally came to life.

He heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to the sink, quickly washed his hands, part of his arms, and most of his face. He still had some here and there, but he wasn’t really in the mood to care. _At least it isn’t acid_ , he thought briefly.

He was wiping his hands down with a new rag as he walked back out into the waiting room. Charlie and Cas looked up as he walked in and their eyes widened a fraction. Cas stood and took in Dean’s appearance. “I’m guessing there was something other than the fuses?”

Dean chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I replaced the fuses and it still wouldn’t start. I found a couple more wires that needed reconnected and then I checked underneath. A coil connected to the oil pump had been cut, not letting any oil run. When I started messing with it, all of the oil came rushing out and I got an oil bath. Bobby sure thought it was funny. Next time I’ll send him under the car while I wait by the hood.”

Charlie chuckled while Cas just smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, Dean. It seems to have been a lot of trouble.” Dean waved him off, shoving the rag into his back pocket and walking over to the counter, leaning against it, trying and failing not to get any oil on it.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse, believe me. I don’t mind getting dirty.” Cas blushed the slightest bit as Dean smiled. Jo took that moment to walk through the doors. She took one look at Dean and couldn’t help the laughter that exploded from her mouth. “What in the world happened to you, Dean? Did you get into a fight with an oilcan and loose?”

Dean rolled his eyes, but looked in her direction. “Oh shut it. How about next time I shove you under the car and you take an oil bath. Then we’ll see who’s laughing.” He smiled mischievously at her and she couldn’t help the snort.

“Right. I’d know better than to mess around with what I’m guessing was a coil connected to the oil pump?” He raised his eyebrows questioningly, but let it drop. Cas turned back to Dean.

“So, how much do I owe you?” Dean looked at Cas and smiled. “I already told you that you’re not paying for anything. They were easy fixes. No harm, no foul.”

Cas rolled his eyes and stepped up towards the counter, closer to Dean. He could now smell the oil that Dean was covered in, mixed with hints of gas, probably from having to lie on the ground underneath the car. “Dean, you got covered in oil, replaced some fuses, and had to fix some coil. I’m guessing you also had to replace the oil as well. I can’t just walk away.”

“Yes, you are, Cas. Bobby’s putting oil in as we speak. I don’t care about being covered in oil. It’s not like this is the first time. It comes with the territory. If it makes you feel any better, next time your car is having trouble and you bring it in, I’ll let you pay for something. If it’s something that needs a part ordered or whatever. Deal?” Cas seemed hesitant. He felt bad for having Dean go to all that work and not paying a single penny.

“I don’t know, Dean…I still feel bad.” Dean’s smile widened, suddenly getting an idea.

“Okay, then you can buy me a drink the next time you come into the bar. I’m always up for a good, cold beer.”

Cas smiled, thinking about buying Dean a drink. Or two.

“Fine, you’ve got a deal. And make that two, I still feel bad.” Dean’s smile widened as he stretched out his hand towards Cas to seal the deal. Cas took his hand and shook. Their hands remained clasped for a moment longer than was probably necessary, as they both got semi-lost in each other’s eyes; forest green staring intently into ocean blue.

The only thing that broke them apart was the door to the garage opening and Bobby walking through. “Oil’s good. Car’s good to go. Runnin’ like a champ. I pulled her out into the parking lot. Here’s the keys.” Dean turned and looked at Bobby as he threw the keys in their direction. Dean reached up and caught them midair. He turned back to Cas, handing him the keys.

“Here you go. Good as new. Now remember, if you have any problems, I’m your guy.” Cas smiled, seeming to forget anyone else was in the room.

“Of course. Thank you, Dean. I’ll definitely be bringing my car back in the future.” He was almost to the door before he turned back around, throwing Dean a winning smile. “And I’ll see you tonight.” The last thing Cas saw before he walked through the door was the huge grin on Dean’s face.

**SPN**

“Jo! I’m fine. Would you just give it a rest already?” They walked through the door of the Roadhouse later on that day to start their shift. Sam and Cas were already there and had started on their first beer by the time the two walked through the door. Gabe was behind the counter, leaning forward engrossed in conversation. The three looked up towards the door at the sound of Dean’s voice.

“No! I won’t give it a rest, Dean. You shouldn’t even be here. You should be at home, resting. Not working behind a bar until you pass out.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to pass out, okay? If I were, I would have done it hours ago. You know, when it happened?”

It was Jo’s turn to roll her eyes as they made their way towards the bar. Sam was watching Dean intently, wondering what had happened. He didn’t miss the fact that Dean’s usually rolled up sleeves weren’t rolled up.

“Dean. What’s going on?” Dean turned towards Sam and sighed, shooting a glare towards Jo. He was behind the bar and walked over to stand next to Gabe. “It’s nothing, Sammy. I’m fine.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Dean. Just tell me what happened.”

He sighed once more as he rolled up his right sleeve to his elbow. He was trying to figure out where to start as he rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a long bandage wrapped around his arm from his wrist until somewhere past where he’d rolled up his sleeve.

Sam inhaled sharply. “What the hell did you do?!”

“I slipped and fell. That’s all.” Cas reached forward and placed a gentle hand on Dean’s bandaged arm. It was so gentle that Dean barely felt his touch. Their eyes locked. “Dean, this was not there while I was at the shop. When did this happen?”

“Whoah, wait, hold on. Cassie was at the shop today?” Dean glanced at Gabe and nodded. Before he got the chance to explain, Jo came up behind them. “Go ahead, Dean. Why don’t you tell them the whole story. Starting from the beginning. As in before Cas showed up so they know the full reason why you fell.”

He rolled his eyes, but started to recount his day. “Okay. Fine. All morning I was running around making sure the new receptionist, Charlie, was getting all the right information down and then I was running back and forth making sure the two new mechanics knew what they were doing. I was doing that between everything else I had to do that morning. When I got done with all of that, Cas brought his car in, well, more like he had it towed in. I worked on it, fixed some things that were disconnected. It turned out that a coil was cut and I got under there to fix it. Well, I messed with the coil and all the oil came out, giving me an oil bath. I finished fixing it and it was good to go. Right after he left, we had a wave of customers come in. Then I got covered in gas a couple of hours later thanks to Jo.”

He sent a look in Jo’s direction, still not over the memory of being covered head to toe in gas. She just shrugged and waited for him to continue.

“Then Ash forgot to clean up a patch of oil in the garage and I slipped and fell, hence the bandage. There’s a cut going up my arm. As I went down, I sliced my arm on a tool. Let’s just say we found out the hard way that Adam is a bit squeamish when it comes to blood.”

“A bit? More like he threw up in the trash can as your arm was being covered in blood. I have to admit, I haven’t seen that much blood. Ever. That was a lot.” Sam’s mouth was hanging open in shock.

Dean chuckled dryly and nodded. Cas looked at him with concern evident in his eyes. “Are you okay, Dean?”

He smiled genuinely at Cas and nodded once more. “Yeah, Cas, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m pretty tough.”

“Did you go to the hospital? What did they say? Did you have to get stitches?”

“Whoah, whoah, hold up there, Samantha. One question at a time. No, I didn’t go to the hospital. They didn’t say anything, because I didn’t go. And yes to the stitches, but I did them myself.”

The look on Gabe’s face had Dean cracking the first smile he had since he’d fallen. “Gabe, you might wanna close your mouth. I heard flies don’t taste that great.”

His mouth closed with a click before he opened it again. “You stitched _yourself_ back up…? How…Why…You are an enigma, you know that, Dean-o?”

Dean shrugged and grabbed a rag from behind the counter and started wiping down the bar for something to do. It was only Tuesday, so there wasn’t much to do.

Sam shook his head, not at all surprised at the fact that he did the stitches himself. “He’s been stitching himself back up since he was thirteen, Gabe, when Dad taught him how to sew. Said he needed to know these things if he was gonna be a ‘real man’, if I remember correctly.”

Dean chuckled, clearly remembering that moment. “Yeah, said I needed to know how to take care of myself and not have to be dependent on anyone else, and that included how to sew apparently. Eh, just meant less doctor bills on their part.”

Several conversations started as Dean and Gabe continued their duties. After a while, Cas tried to pay for the drinks he’d already had, but Dean shook his head. “Did I forget to mention that family members don’t have to pay when their older brothers are working? Huh. And yours is! I guess that means your drinks are the house tonight, Cas.”

His lips parted in confusion. Sam leaned closer to Cas as Dean walked away with a smile on his face. “Don’t worry, Gabe did the same thing to me when he was trying to ask me out.”

Cas looked at Sam even more confused. Was Dean trying to ask him out? Then he caught the whiff of alcohol on Sam’s breath. “Sam, are you inebriated?”

Sam giggled and shook his head. “No, Cas. Of course not. I don’t get ineb..inebri... Nope. But, I only speak the truth, you know. Truth comes out when you’re..inebreeded.”

“So, you are.”

“No. Maybe. But what I’m trying to say is that Dean…he li-.” Dean appeared in front of Sam suddenly, cutting him off.

“Okay, you’re drunk. Hand over the keys. You’re definitely not driving home tonight.” Sam looked up at his big brother and was about to protest when Gabe walked over also.

“He’s right, Samsquatch. Don’t worry about it, I’ll take you home when my shift’s done. Give him the keys, babe.” Sam pouted, but handed over the keys. Cas was watching clearly amused.

Dean pocketed Sam’s keys and sent a smile Cas’ way before turning to serve a customer. Cas blushed slightly as he remembered what Sam had said. Was it just the alcohol talking or did Dean really like him? 


	4. Operation: Boyfriend- Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So...Day 2 of Operation: Boyfriend. Tell me what you think!

**Chapter 4- Day 2 (Wednesday)**

The punch landed squarely on Dean’s jaw, sending him crashing into the pool table. He rubbed his jaw and stood up, glaring at the guy who’d thrown it. “What’s wrong, sweet cheeks? Can’t handle a little love tap?”

Dean surged forward and slammed the guy into the wall. He braced his arm against his throat and lowered his voice to a menacing level. “Oh I can handle it alright, but you picked the wrong place and the wrong time.”

**Three hours earlier…**

It was busier than usual for a Wednesday night at the Roadhouse Bar & Grille. That night found Dean and Gabe behind the bar, like usual, serving their little brothers their first beers of the night. Gabe was mercilessly flirting with Sam every chance he got. Dean’s flirting was much more dialed down and inconspicuous than Gabe’s. Every now and then he would send a flirtatious smile or wink Cas’ way, making him blush.

Dean loved seeing the little blush creep up Cas’ neck and onto his cheeks. He thought it was absolutely adorable, not that he would really admit that to anyone.

“So, Cas, what’s it like being an art teacher?” Cas looked up from his cell phone to see Sam smiling at him. Their brothers were both at the opposite end of the bar serving customers and showing off with fancy tricks with the alcohol bottles.

“It is very interesting really, though it can be difficult.” Sam smiled and nodded. He took another sip from his beer before replying. “I’m sure being a teacher of anything can be difficult. What made you decide to become a teacher?”

Cas looked down at his beer for several moments, contemplating the answer. “My mother was an art teacher at a high school many years ago. When I was young, she taught me how to draw. Mainly the basics, but my father always teased that I had gotten the trait from her, that it was the reason why I picked it up so quickly. After she died, the only thing that kept my sanity was my art. I took art classes, buried myself in my drawings, and somehow made it through high school in once piece. My father was not around much so that is how I kept busy. Gabriel would tease me that I preferred a pencil and a piece of paper to my own brother; however, that was not the case, of course. We had very different ways of handling our grief is all.”

Sam nodded, listening intently to Cas as he told his story. He was vaguely aware that Dean and Gabe were standing close by listening to his story.

“Once I graduated, I could not imagine doing anything other than art. I thought briefly about becoming an artist, trying to sell some of my work, but soon realized that I wanted to inspire people the way my mother had inspired me, by teaching me how to draw. For me, it was a way to escape reality when everything seemed overwhelming. I thought that maybe if I become a teacher, I can provide that same solace for someone else. Just providing it to one person out of the hundreds I have taught is good enough for me.”

Sam smiled, “Wow, that’s incredible, Cas. I had no idea that it was so meaningful to you. Have you ever tried to sell some of your work as well? Who knows, maybe by just seeing some of your work, someone will get inspired.”

Cas shook his head slowly, “My work is not gallery material. Gabriel often likes to try to persuade me otherwise, but he frequently fails. I am content at drawing in private and focusing on my teaching responsibilities.”

Dean smiled slightly thinking about how wonderful of a person this guy was. And he was Gabe’s brother of all people. You’d think growing up with Gabe would have done interesting things to one’s personality.

He quickly swiped out Cas’ empty beer bottle for a nice, cold one, already opened thanks to Dean. He shot Cas a warm smile as he moved away to help another customer. Gabe missed the interaction as he had been sucked into his own little world thanks to Cas’ story.

He thought back to the time not long after their mother had passed away. When Cas had locked himself in his room for hours every night, refusing to come out unless it was for dinner or to use the bathroom. It had taken months for Gabe to find out what he had been doing in there all that time.

When he was finally allowed access to Cas’ room, he had been shocked at all the drawings covering every wall of his brother’s room. They were all of wings, feathers, angels, some even of a man with a handprint on his arm.

Gabe had asked who the man was, but Cas had simply shrugged, saying an unnamed man who’d been ‘gripped tight and pulled from perdition’ by his angel. He had seen it in a dream and drawn it to get it out of his mind. He’d said that the handprint was where the angel had grabbed him and therefore a sign of the angel’s love and care for the man he’d saved.

Gabe had found it touching, not quite sure what to say. Maybe slightly weird that he’d dreamt about a man being pulled out of Hell by an angel, but hey! It was his little brother.

Ever since then, he had noticed Cas take an interest in wings and angels. It had been his little brother’s saving grace.

He shook himself from his thoughts as a hand clamped onto his shoulder. He looked up into Dean’s worried gaze, but shook him off. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, Dean-o, I would think you’re trying to hit on me. Sorry, I’m taken. By your own brother, no less. Sheesh, trying to steal your little brother’s boyfriend. Talk about desperate.”

Dean rolled his eyes, but stepped away from him, giving him back his space as he pulled out a kit kat bar from seemingly nowhere as he usually did.

As he opened the package, Gabe looked over at his little brother who was still wrapped up in his conversation about art with Sam. He simply watched as Cas’ eyes lit up just talking about art and how much it meant to him. Cas always reminded him of their mother in that way. She had been just as passionate about it as Cas now was and in a small way, he envied his little brother for it.

He had watched his little brother and their mother grow closer and closer as she taught him how to draw. They had had nothing in common really, so they didn’t spend as much time together. Most of his time was either spent with his friends or with his father, although, he never had much in common with the man either. Their father liked to joke that the stork dropped him at their doorstep, carrying him from some unknown land. He’d always laughed at the joke, but he’d always wished he was at least a little bit like one of his parents. He didn’t even really look like them.

He shook himself once more from his inner ramblings and began concentrating on his job. He’d succeeded in spacing out, earning him a worried glance from Dean who was across the bar, closer to Sam and Cas now.

The bar was starting to slow down a bit for the night, not surprising since it was a Wednesday night. Dean was just surprised it was as busy as it was.

Suddenly a hand appeared on one of Cas’ shoulders, causing him to jump slightly, almost knocking his beer out of his hands. He looked up at the figure who had seemed to materialize behind him and gaped in shock at who he saw.

He vaguely heard Gabe gasp from somewhere close by when he saw the man as well. “Jason?” The man in question smiled from ear to ear and sat down on the stool beside Cas. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Cas! I haven’t heard from you in ages! How have you been?”

“I…um…I’ve been good.” Jason nodded, the smile still not leaving his face. “Good! Good, that’s good. You still following that…whim of yours?”

Cas’ eyes narrowed suddenly. “If you mean by becoming an art teacher, than yes, I am still following that w _him._ ”

The guy didn’t seem to catch on that he was starting to bother Cas. He just kept going. “That’s cool, I guess. So, what about you? Find someone to put up with your dry humor and lack of fashion sense?”

Cas was about make some kind of angered retort when Dean suddenly jumped into the conversation. “Dry humor? Hardly. And if you’re talking about lack of fashion sense, I think you’re referring to yourself there, buddy. Hasn’t anyone told you that you’re not supposed to wear a brown belt with black shoes? I mean, I thought I was clueless when it comes to fashion, and yet I knew that. Come on.”

Jason seemed to have just noticed Dean standing there and was immediately angered by the intrusion to the conversation. “And who the hell might you be?”

Dean gave him a cocky grin as he leaned against the bar. “Name’s Dean. Now, I would suggest you back off of Cas.”

Jason leaned forward towards Dean with an equally cocky grin. “Oh really? And why in the hell would I do that? I don’t take orders from mere bartenders after all. Cas and I are just trying to catch up, so why don’t you piss off. This has nothing to do with you.”

Cas stood, grabbing his beer and started moving away from Jason. He turned back before he got to the stool on the other side of Sam and glared at him. “In actuality, my life has nothing to do with you, nor does the fact of whether or not I am currently romantically involved with anyone. So, if I were you, I would take my own advice and piss off.”

He sat down on the other side of Sam, and glared down at his beer. Gabe was certainly impressed. He rarely ever got to see Cas mad and when he did, his anger was usually directed at him, so it wasn’t quite the same.

Dean smiled at the look on the man’s face. He was in shock from having Cas snap at him. Before he could say anything, Dean leaned forward and lowered his voice so that only Jason could hear him.

“You know, I’ve never seen Cas mad before. So whatever it was that happened between the two of you for him to go off like that…Well, if I were you, I’d high tail it out of here. And that’s not a suggestion.”

The man recovered from his shock and looked deep into Dean’s eyes. “Is that a threat, pretty boy?”

Dean chuckled darkly, “Only if you want it to be, dumb ass.”

Dean leaned away from Jason and walked away, resuming his duties and helping a customer. He watched Jason from the corner of his eye as he walked away from the bar.

Cas watched Dean carefully. “What did you say to him to make him leave, Dean?” Dean looked up from the beer he was pouring and shrugged. “Just kindly suggested he walk away is all. Nothing really.” Cas dropped it and switched topics to a happier tone. He and Sam swapped college stories, not that Cas’ were that action-packed filled with bar hopping and keggers, but Sam still seemed to enjoy them nonetheless.

After a while, Sam convinced Cas to go play a game of pool with him and they walked over to the pool table that was set up across the bar and up on a little stage. The stage had a wooden railing wrapped around it so that some drunk bastard wouldn’t fall off, get hurt, and then sue the bar.

Dean kept an eye on the two since Jason still hadn’t left. He had only crossed the bar and sat at a table with some buddies of his. Dean watched as the man kept a close eye on Cas ever since he’d walked away from the bar. The guy worried Dean, but he wasn’t sure why.

Gabe had been tense ever since he’d shown up, so maybe that was why. Dean leaned towards Gabe when they both had a free minute. “So, what’s up with that guy? The one who came up to Cas.”

Gabe looked at his little brother, at Jason, back to Cas, and then finally up at Dean. He sighed and rubbed his face with one hand before giving Dean the background on Jason.

“A few years ago, Cas met him somewhere. I think they met in high school or something. We weren’t particularly close when they met so Cas practically attached himself to the guy since he was the first person to really pay him much attention since I left for college. Well, they became fast friends, started dating, and Cas thought he was in love with the douchebag. Every time we’d talk, he mentioned the guy. I met him and he seemed alright. Well, Cas really fell hard for the guy. That’s when Jason started drinking. Well, more than he already did. He’d get trashed, like, every night. Cas isn’t the partying type so he’d stay home. One night, Jason left for a party leaving Cas at home studying. When he got home…he beat the shit out of Cas. A couple of days later I found out and tried to convince him to end it with the dick, but he claimed it was a one-time thing, that it’d never happen again.”

Dean really didn’t like where this was going. He was already trying to keep his anger down at a reasonable level. How could anyone hit someone who was such a good person?

“Well, then it happened again, and again, and again. Honestly, I don’t know exactly how many times it happened, but I know it happened a lot. Finally, I had enough and called the cops. Cas loved him too much to do it himself, but the guy had to stop. I couldn’t let him just keep beating up my little brother. Well, they couldn’t prove anything and somehow Jason got around the law and was released. He went back to Cas, apologizing, promising him it’d never happen again. He kept saying he loved him and he was sorry, but Cas had had enough finally. He told him it was over and that he was moving out, moving in with me. Jason flipped out on him. He was upset because he couldn’t get his way. He beat Cas so bad he almost killed him. He just left him lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood while he left for the bar. Somehow, Cas got to his phone and called me. I called the cops and Cas was taken to the hospital. That bag of dicks got about two years of jail time and was out in a year and a half. Frankly, I’ve been waiting for him to show back up. What Cas did, standing up to him like that…I never thought I’d see the day…You know I think it has something to do with you.”

Dean had practically been fuming as he had listened to Gabe, but that last sentence caught him off guard. “With me? Why do you say that?”

Gabe smiled at him softly. “He likes you, you know. It’s obvious. I’ve known him his whole life, so I know everything about that kid.”

Dean looked over at Cas, wondering if a guy like Cas could really like a guy like him. He would give anything to be with him, he knew that. Cas was special. He was one of those rare ones that when you find them, you’re an idiot if you let them go.

“What are you so scared of, Dean?” He tore his eyes away from Cas and looked down at Gabe. This was the first time the guy had ever just used his name.

“I’m not scared of anything, remember? I’m fearless.” Dean placed his best smirk on his face to hide what he was truly feeling. Deep down he knew he wasn’t good enough for Cas, but he couldn’t just come out and say that. Hell, Gabe of all people should know that, especially since he’s Cas’ big brother. It’s his job to protect him from people like Dean, not try to set him up with them.

Gabe just watched him instead of giving his signature eye roll or making a snarky comment. Gabe knew what Dean was thinking. He’d known Dean long enough to know how the man thinks and how he views himself.

He knew that Dean thought himself unworthy of Cas, that he wasn’t good enough for his little brother, but he was wrong. Gabe knew that Dean was the perfect person for Cas. No, he wasn’t a perfect person, far from it actually, but he had a good heart and a good head on his shoulders, someone that Cas needed.

**SPN**

Sam and Cas were on their third game of pool when someone appeared behind Cas as he tried to take the shot. He turned around, hoping it wasn’t Jason. To his luck, it was.

“Jason, I thought I made it clear that I wish for you to leave me alone.” Jason rolled his eyes and stepped closer. Cas took a step back, bumping into the pool table. He had a wicked smile on his face, the same one he would get right before he would beat the shit out of Cas. And Cas all too clearly remembered that smile.

“Oh, but, babe, where’s the fun in that? You know you wanna have some fun for old time’s sake, yeah?” Cas glanced over at Sam nervously. Sam was looking over at the bar just as nervously as Cas felt. Cas watched as Sam’s eyes moved across the bar until he heard a deep voice coming from the other side of him, where Sam’s eyes had rested. “I thought I told you to leave him the hell alone.”

Cas turned his head slowly and saw that Dean was standing right next to him and he was pissed.

“Well, like I said, I don’t take orders from bartenders. And besides, we were just having a little bit of fun, right, Castiel?”

Cas narrowed his eyes at Jason. “On the contrary, nothing about you is fun for me.” Jason chuckled darkly, but didn’t move away from him.

Dean grabbed a hold of Cas’ arm and quickly pulled him away from Jason and planted him behind him, that way Jason would have to go through him to get to Cas.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dean? This has nothing to do with you.”

The cocky grin was back on Dean’s face as he said, “Well, actually it has everything to do with me. You see, no one hurts Cas unless they can somehow get through me, which is unlikely. So I suggest you move on before someone gets hurt.”

Jason chuckled darkly once more as he took a step towards Dean. “Oh, it’s already too late for that.” He swung his fist out and it connected with Dean’s jaw. He crashed into the pool table behind him. The guy was wearing a ring on his right hand which snapped on Dean’s jaw as it made contact, creating a nice long line running along his jaw with a thin line of blood coming to the surface.

He stood, glaring at Jason as he rubbed his jaw. “What’s wrong, sweet cheeks? Can’t handle a love tap?” Jason smirked, but it was quickly wiped off his face as Dean slammed his fist into the side of his nose, creating a sickening crunch sound, before he slammed into him and pinned him against the wall with his arm braced against his neck.

He dropped his voice to a menacing level. “Oh I can handle it alright, but you picked the wrong place and the wrong time.”

“Dean.” Sam was standing in front of Cas now, making sure nothing happened to him while Dean was otherwise occupied. He wouldn’t have had to if Jason’s buddies hadn’t suddenly appeared on the little stage as Dean had slammed him into the wall.

Dean looked behind him, meeting Sam’s eye and then seeing all of the douche’s friends. He saw Gabe’s worried look from where he was by the phone, just in case he had to call the cops. Ellen must not have heard the commotion because she was still in the back doing who knew what. He quickly scanned the bar looking for Jo, making sure she was alright. He found her standing at the opposite end of the bar, looking like she wanted to jump into the fight.

He turned his attention back to Jason. “You see Gabe over there by the phone? Yeah, if you and your buddies don’t get the hell out of here right now, he’s going to call the cops and you’ll be charged for harassment. You know…I heard that you recently spent some time in the pen. I don’t think your probation officer will look too kindly on harassment charges so soon after getting out.”

Dean stepped away from him and moved to stand protectively in front of Cas, right next to Sam, as Jason narrowed his eyes and started towards the door. Once he and his buddies were about to leave, he turned back towards Dean and pointed at him. “This isn’t over, bartender. You better watch your back.”

Dean smiled darkly. “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be ready. I’m not afraid.” With that, Jason and his buddies left the bar and Cas turned towards Dean.

“Dean, you didn’t have to do that. I could have protected myself.” Dean turned towards him with a different kind of intensity.

“Cas, I know what he did. Gabe told me everything. I’m not going to give that douchebag another chance to lay a finger on you, okay? I don’t give a rat’s ass if you think you can protect yourself from him. I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore. You got that?”

Cas fought back the tears that had suddenly came to his eyes. He really didn’t want to cry in front of Dean, but what Dean was saying to him and what he had already done for him, it meant a lot to Cas.

“Thank you, Dean.”

Dean smiled warmly and placed his arm across Cas’ shoulders, steering him back towards the bar. “How about you and Sam sit over here for awhile. I want to keep an eye on the two of you.” He said it with humor in his voice and it made Cas smile. Right as Dean was about to move away to go back behind the bar, Cas noticed the line of blood that was making its way down Dean’s neck.

He grabbed Dean’s hand, pulling him closer so he could have a better look. “Dean, you’re bleeding. Sit.”

Dean obeyed, confused. He sat on the bar stool next to where he’d placed Cas and watched as Cas moved closer, inspecting the cut along his jaw.

Cas looked over at Gabe. “Do you have a first aid kit?” Gabe nodded and went to retrieve it, coming back moments later with the white kit and handed it to Cas.

“Cas, really, it’s fine. You don’t have to patch up-.” Cas silenced him with a hard look.

“Dean, you were hit because you were protecting me and you put yourself in harm’s way for me. Just let me attempt to show my gratitude.”

Dean smiled and nodded, letting Cas continue to clean the cut. Once he was finished, Cas looked at him, satisfied with his work. “There you go. You can return to your duties now.”

Dean chuckled as he stood from his seat. He placed his hand on Cas’ and leaned towards the man slightly. “Thanks, Cas.”

Cas blushed and nodded. “You are welcome, Dean.”

Dean moved away from him and returned to his station behind the bar. He grabbed another beer for Cas and Sam, placing them in front of them and went back to work.

Sam looked at Gabe with a knowing smile. They both knew that the walls separating the two men from having a relationship were crumbling.


	5. Operation: Boyfriend- Day 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Operation: Boyfriend- Day 3 (Thursday) How about some lunch?

**Chapter 5- Day 3 (Thursday)**

Thursday started off like any other day. Dean woke from an amazing dream starring a certain blue-eyed angel, showered, changed and made his way to his favorite café where he was sure to bump into the same blue-eyed wonder. It had become kind of routine in the short span of time the two had known each other.

He got his coffee, having a short conversation with Cas before he realized he was running late for work and had to depart. He arrived at the shop five minutes early somehow, only to realize that Bobby hadn’t gotten there yet. It was odd because usually Bobby beat him there.

Dean stepped out of his baby, took a long pull from his coffee and got to work on opening up shop. He had just gotten everything opened and ready to go when his workers started walking through the doors. Charlie was rather chipper for it being so early and Dean had to chuckle at her enthusiasm. It was refreshing seeing so much spunk in someone, especially at this hour.

He walked into the office he shared with Bobby and started reviewing the schedule for the day. He opened his laptop, checked his e-mails, placed some calls regarding parts that hadn’t been ordered the day before. He was basically done with everything that needed to be taken care of that morning when a grumpy-looking Bobby marched into the office and plopped down behind his desk, coffee in hand.

“Late night, Bobby?” He chuckled lightly as Bobby grumbled under his breath, already knowing the answer. He went through the routine of recording which parts were ordered and which ones he hadn’t gotten around to yet, deciding to leave that to Bobby so he could make his rounds in the shop before any customers arrived.

He was just finishing up his coffee as Jo practically ran through the door, huge smile fixed on her face. “Mornin’, Jo. Why are you so chipper this morning?”

Jo just waved him off and went back into the locker rooms to set her stuff down for later. She appeared a few minutes later, smile still stamped where it had been. Dean chuckled, figuring she’d spill sooner or later.

The morning went rather slow. There wasn’t much business until later on around eleven. About noon, Jo was constantly checking her phone. Dean didn’t really care if his workers used their phones while they were working, he did it too. Just as long as they got their work done and weren’t distracted by it.

He raised an eyebrow at her as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The cut on his arm had healed enough to where he didn’t need that stupid bandage and he sure was happy to not have to wear it.

“Where’s the fire, Jo?” Her head whipped up and her eyes narrowed at him in confusion. “What?”

He chuckled, gesturing to her phone. “I said, ‘Where’s the fire?’ You’re typing away like crazy. What’s up?”

She shoved her phone back in her pocket and waved it off. “Oh, it’s nothing really. Just catching up with an old friend is all. Hey, speaking of which, you wanna catch some lunch on break? I know this great place and it’s not expensive.”

He raised his eyebrows questioningly, suddenly rather suspicious, but decided to play along. “Sure, why not. It’s always an adventure with you.”

She fist-pumped the air before returning to the car she was working on. It was a good half an hour later, at least, by the time they were able to pry themselves from their work and go on break. Dean popped his head into the office.

“Hey, Bobby, Jo and I are going for lunch. Want me to bring you back anything?” Bobby shook his head, too distracted by the paperwork in front of him. Dean smiled before turning to leave. He figured he’d bring him back something anyway. The man would thank him later when he was hungry and food-less.

They walked out of the shop together and towards his baby. They hopped in and Dean drove out of the parking lot. “So, where to?” Jo pulled out her phone, checking her texts.

“Um, take a right on University. Then a left on Palaski. It’s not far.” Dean nodded as he popped in a cassette and Bon Jovi’s Dead or Alive started blasting through the speakers, making him smile and sing along.

Jo shook her head at Dean. “Bon Jovi? Really, Dean?” Dean looked at her and shrugged.

“What? Bon Jovi rocks. On occasion.” She rolled her eyes but started singing along as well. Who could resist when it was playing so loud.

They arrived at the little restaurant a few minutes later and Dean pulled into a parking spot. Immediately he recognized a car parked a few spots over. “Hey, isn’t that Gabe’s car?”

Jo looked where he was looking and her smile widened. “It is! Maybe he and Sam are on a date. Oooh! Maybe he brought Cas with him! Let’s go in and see if we can sit with them!”

Suddenly Dean had a sinking feeling that she had already known that Gabe would be here. He stared after her as she climbed out of the impala and started towards the building, impatiently looking back at him.

He sighed before climbing out as well and jogging to catch up with her. They walked inside and immediately spotted Gabe and Cas sitting across the restaurant sitting at a table for four. Gabe looked up as the door opened and waved them over.

When they got closer, he yelled, “Hey guys! What in the world are you doing here? Slow at the shop today?”

Dean rolled his eyes, already suspecting that Gabe and Jo were in this together and had planned to meet up. He wasn’t as slow as they thought.

“Nah, Jo wanted to go for lunch on break. Dragged me down here. Haven’t the slightest clue why though.” He shot a look at Jo, letting her know that he was onto her. She blushed slightly before shrugging as if to say, “What can you do?”

Gabe smiled, pulling out the chair next to him. “Join us! Plenty of room! And we can all catch up.”

“We wouldn’t want to intrude, would we, Jo?” Before he could finish his thought, Gabe jumped in. “No! Nonsense! You wouldn’t be intruding at all. We were actually just talking about you lot.” He sent a wink towards Cas who blushed slightly. He looked up at Dean with a look conveying that he had figured it out as well. They’d both been tricked into coming here for lunch, they just didn’t know the full reason yet.

“It is quite alright, Dean. You both are more than welcome to join us.” Jo squeaked in excitement and quickly took the seat next to Gabe, making Dean sit next to Cas.

“So, Dean-o, how are things at the shop?” Dean looked up at Gabe, still trying to figure out exactly their plan here.

“Things are going well actually. We’ve been getting a lot of business lately.” Gabe nodded, somewhat distracted. “Good, good. Well, the more poor bastards who are mechanically ignorant the more business, right?”

Dean’s brow furrowed, not quite sure how to answer that. Cas, thankfully, jumped in to save him. “That’s not very nice, Gabe, calling yourself a poor bastard. We all know how inept you are when it comes to cars.”

Gabe choked on his water, clearly not expecting that from his little brother. Dean burst into laughter and threw a smile Cas’s way. They both sat there chuckling as Jo and Gabe exchanged a quick look, almost being missed by Dean. Almost.

Jo reached into her pocket as her phone started to go off. “Hello? Oh hey, Bobby. What? Oh yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone and looked sheepishly around the table. “Sorry, folks. Looks like I’ll have to take a rain check on lunch. I guess the shop suddenly got swamped with customers and Bobby needs me to come back and help out the newbs. Have fun!”

She was standing and about to move away when Dean was about to get up. “Guess that means I’ll be going back too.” She pushed his shoulder down, forcing him back into his chair.

“No, no, you can stay. Bobby just needs one person and I’m not that hungry anyway.” Dean’s brow furrowed. “Jo, I drove. How are you going to get back to the shop?”

Suddenly Gabe’s phone went off as well. “Heya, Samsquatch. Out of class early? Hm, yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be there in ten.” He looked over at Dean and Jo as he ended the call. “I’ll give Jo a lift back to the shop, Dean-o. Don’t worry about it. That was your baby brother and he wants me to pick him up anyway. Car broke down or something. Who knows. Probably just an excuse to see my sexy ass. He does quite admire it, if I do say so myself.”

Dean held his hands up. “Whoah there. I would really rather not know what my little brother admires. How about you keep that information to yourself.”

Gabe rolled his eyes as he jumped up, grabbing Jo by the arm. “We’ll see about that.” Cas spoke up, “Wait, you drove as well, Gabriel. How am I going to get back to the school?”

“I’m sure Dean-o here can drive you. See you later, kids. Oh, and play nice. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He sent a wink in Cas’ direction, causing him to blush, and they quickly moved away.

They both watched as they walked out of the restaurant and into the parking lot. Without turning to Cas, Dean said, “How long do you think it took them to come up with that?”

Cas shook his head. “I’m guessing a couple of days. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”

Dean chuckled, finally looking back at Cas with a smile on his face. “I hope she realizes that I’m her boss and can make her life hell if I want to.” Cas laughed and nodded, agreeing. “Yes, and I believe Gabe has forgotten that I live with him and am very capable of making it difficult to be at home.”

They laughed and started to swap stories of what they could possibly do to the two of them to get back at them. They started throwing Sam and Bobby into the mix, knowing that they were in on whatever plan they were scheming.

They ordered their lunch and were still laughing when it arrived at their table. Dean was glad that Jo and Gabe had been scheming. It gave him a chance to really get to know the guy who’d practically been the main topic in his mind that wasn’t in a bar setting or for a couple of minutes in a crowded café. He rather enjoyed being with Cas. He thought that maybe he would feel awkward given the situation and barely knowing the guy, but he was oddly comfortable.

He normally didn’t get comfortable around anyone for a while, which made this even more strange. Every time he was around Cas it seemed he had a smile on his face. He smiled more in the past few days then he had in the past month or so. Sure, he’d been satisfied before, but he’d never been really happy.

He’d been satisfied with his business, with how his job at the bar was going. He’d been satisfied with his living situation and with his friends. But he’d never been truly…happy. He hadn’t woken up with a smile on his face like he had in this past week. He hadn’t sung in the shower like he used to. He wouldn’t whistle while he worked like he was getting into the habit of doing more and more.

He was just all-around happier. And he wasn’t even dating the guy. They were only friends and yet his man was making him so much happier than he had been before he knew the guy existed.

They shared stories about what it was like living with their brothers. That was when they realized just how close they lived to each other. Dean had never gone over to Gabe’s apartment, though Gabe was frequently at theirs. There was no reason for him to know where Gabe’s apartment was. He and Sam had only been together for about three months now and hadn’t had a reason to go over there. Until now that is.

They only lived about two blocks from each other with their favorite café smack-dab between the them. They also realized that they shared that in common, the café being their favorite.

It seems they had a lot in common, more than either though originally. They both lived with their brothers due to previous relationships, they were both quite passionate at what they did for a living, they both had homophobic fathers and quiet mothers. The list seemed to go on and on.

Cas shared his love for classic cars, which seemed to win him over instantly. Dean went on and on about how he’d inherited his baby ’67 chevy impala from his father when he was sixteen and how he’d rebuilt her from the ground up several times.

When Cas asked why he’d had to keep rebuilding her, Dean looked down at the beer he was drinking. “She’s been in a few accidents. A couple major ones too. The worst one happened a couple of years ago. I was on my way home from the shop one day, this was before I started at the Roadhouse. I was sitting at a stop light, waiting for it to turn green. I’d just dropped Jo off. Hell, I was still in view of her house so she saw the whole thing. I was on the phone with Sam too, so he about had a heart attack listening on the other end. The light turned green, so I went. The next thing I know glass was flying everywhere. Some guy driving a truck was texting, not paying attention. He hadn’t noticed the light turn red and went right through it. Of course, he’d also been speeding. I guess he was running late for something, I was told later. He drove the impala through the intersection and slammed her into the cars waiting on the other side. It was a five-car accident with the impala smack in the middle. Thankfully, the brunt of the hit was just passed the driver’s side door. Otherwise, I doubt I would have survived.”

He paused for a long moment. Long enough to have Cas wondering if he had ended his story or if he was going to continue. He seemed that his mind was stuck back in the impala, back in that memory.

“I remember hearing the sounds of crunching metal, shattering glass. Then a car alarm going off somewhere kind of distant. I couldn’t move. I heard Sam yelling my name through my phone, but I didn’t know where it was. It’d fallen in the crash, slid out of reach. A minute later I heard Jo calling my name, yelling for someone to call 9-1-1. The impala was so totaled, the only way to get to me was to pry open the windshield. I remember feeling like I was somewhere else. Like, it was happening to me, but it wasn’t at the same time. I could hear the sounds, hear the voices, but I couldn’t feel anything. I kept thinking, ‘Where’s Sam? Is he okay?’ And then the same about Jo. They were both still calling my name, so I guess some part of my brain thought they had been in the car too or something. I don’t remember much after that. I must have passed out or something. I know I lost a lot of blood. Jo told me that when they finally got me out, I wasn’t breathing.  Four months later when I woke up, she told me I’d been in a coma. That was the only time I’d ever seen her cry. Sam had stopped going to school. I was told he stayed in the hospital room, rarely leaving. Jo said that the doctors had lost hope. That they were certain there had been too much brain damage from the collision. They had suggested taking me off life-support, but Sammy wouldn’t have it. He refused to give up, said I would make it through. Hell, Mom and Dad had even given up. Dad had tried reasoning with Sammy, saying it was costing too much to keep me on life-support with there being no hope, that he needed to let go, move on. If it hadn’t been for his damn stubbornness, I’d be dead right now.”

A soft smile played at his lips as he looked up at Cas. “I never thought I’d see the day where I’d actually be thankful for that kid’s stubbornness. He’s like a damn moose. Stubborn as hell. Have you seen that kid in a debate? Damn. I’ve never known anyone that stubborn.”

Cas chuckled, thinking about what it would be like if he’d never gotten to know Dean, about how Sam would be if he’d lost his brother to that accident. He really didn’t want to think about it.

“So what did the doctors say when you woke up suddenly?” Dean smiled and took a sip from his beer.

“They said it was a miracle. They had been certain that I was a goner. Of course, in front of the family they said they’d always held out hope, but you could see it in their eyes how shocked they were to see me awake. I don’t know how many scans and tests they ran on me. Said there was no real brain damage, whatever the hell that means. For a few days after I woke up, I got a few things mixed up. Like, I thought I was the one in college and Sam was the one who had his own business, things like that. The doctors said it was surprising I didn’t have more after affects. That’s actually why I got the job at the Roadhouse. With me being in a coma for four months and Bobby the only one running the place, it became too much to handle for one person. It went downhill a bit, not his fault though. When I was able to get back to work, the shop just wasn’t bringing in enough money. Jo’s mom, Ellen, offered me the job at the Roadhouse, so I took it. Then I met Gabe. Of course, as soon as he met Sammy he was hitting on him left and right. That was back when he still thought he was straight though. He was engaged to a girl named Jess. Sweet girl, I liked her, but of course it didn’t work out.”

Cas nodded, taking everything Dean said in, letting it soak into his brain so he’d remember every detail. He didn’t figure Dean was the type to really open up like this often, or at all really, so he was taking in everything while he could.

“So, what happened between Sam and Jess?” Dean smiled, thinking about the time when his little brother had claimed to be straight.

“She knew. She knew all along that he didn’t quite play for that team. I think she figured that maybe she could persuade him to switch teams. I don’t know for sure what the hell she was thinking. Hell, she even asked me one day if the kid was gay. I told her he wasn’t out of the closet as far as I knew, but that’s all I knew. He thought he was in love, so he proposed. I was happy for him, but I knew it wouldn’t last. She was there for him the entire time I was in the coma, so I think that played a big part. A few months after I started at the bar, they came in for a drink. She saw the way he kept glancing over at Gabe. I guess that’s when her suspicions were confirmed. A few days later, she returned his ring, packed her bags, and was gone. Haven’t seen her since. He was a wreck when she left, of course, but he got over it. Still took him a while to finally come out and even then it took him a while to be comfortable enough to date someone. I think it helped that he knew I played for the same team.”

Cas nodded, smiling. “I am sure it did. I know it helped that Gabe had already come out when I did. Of course, I came out at a much younger age, so I had to deal with juvenile high schoolers.”

Dean nodded knowingly. “Oh, I know just how that is, believe me. I came out my sophomore year. Let’s just say that the kids at my high school were a bit homophobic.”

Cas winced. “I can see that. There was an incident my junior year where the other kids had an obsession with spray paint and lockers. It was not a fun semester.”

Dean smiled, looking at Cas as he took a sip of his beer. “I was on the receiving end of one those one time. Let’s just say they thought twice about it the next time.” He glanced down at his watch and his eyes widened. “Holy shit, I should have been back at the shop half an hour ago. They’re probably swamped. We should get going.”

Cas nodded, finishing his drink and standing up. He was pulling out his wallet as Dean rolled his eyes. He walked over to the counter and paid for their meal, earning him an eye roll from Cas. They left the restaurant together and walked over to the impala. “Wow, this is your car, Dean? It looks this nice after being repeatedly rebuilt?”

Dean smiled lovingly at his baby, nodding. “She does. Perks of owning a mechanics shop and knowing what you’re doing. This is my baby.”

Cas smiled over at him and watching the pride that showed on Dean’s face as he took in his car. Dean looked up to see Cas watching him and he blushed. He walked over to his door, opening it. “So, I’m taking you to the college?”

Cas emerged from his trance and moved to get into the car as well. He slid into his seat as he nodded. “Yes. I have one more class for the afternoon.”

He nodded. “So how many classes do you teach?”

“I have six classes each week. One on Mondays and Wednesdays, two on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is rather nice since it gives me a three-day weekend and plenty of time to keep up with assignments.”

Dean nodded, occasionally looking over at him. They made small talk, sharing the little details about their everyday lives until Dean pulled up into a parking spot in front of the college.

He looked over at Cas with a smile on his face. “Well, here we are.” Cas nodded, wishing they had more time, but knowing it wasn’t possible since they both had to go back to work.

“I had a nice time, Dean, even if it was conspired by our loved ones.” Dean chuckled, nodding his head in agreement.

“Yeah, definitely. Will you be at the bar tonight?” Cas smiled, knowing that he would, in fact, be going to the bar tonight, but he wanted to see how Dean would react.

“I am not sure yet. It depends on how well-behaved my next class is, among other factors.”

“Oh. Yeah, I can understand that. Well, I, uh…I hope you’re able to make it.” Cas’s smile widened as Dean tripped over his words, sounding a bit disappointed at not knowing for sure if he would see Cas later.

He opened his door, stepped out, and shut it. Before he walked away, he leaned down through the open window and gave Dean a warm smile.

“Thank you for the ride, Dean.” Before Dean could respond, he was already walking away towards campus. Dean smiled to himself, wondering if he would get to see him later. He hoped so.

Ten minutes later, he walked through the doors to the shop and was assaulted with questions the second he was through the door.

“Where the hell have you been? How was lunch? How’s Cas? Did you drop him off at work?”

Dean held his hands in the air. “Whoah, slow down. One question at a time, Jo, jeeze. We lost track of time, that’s why I’m late. Lunch was good, thank you very much. Cas is fine. And yes, I dropped him off at work. Now, do you want to tell me why the hell the four of you schemed for us to have lunch together? I’m perfectly capable of asking the dude out myself, you know.”

Jo snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure you are. If you were, you would have done it already. You’ve had _plenty_ of opportunities and yet here you are. Still single. Now where’s the fun in that?”

Dean walked through the shop and into the office, setting a bag filled with a burger and fries down on the desk in front of Bobby who looked up gratefully. “I don’t want to rush anything, okay? We’re both dealing with a lot of shit at the moment, if you hadn’t noticed. He’s dealing with that douche-wad, Jason, and his classes and I’m dealing with Henrickson and my dad. You really think it’s a smart idea to get into a new relationship when there’s already a lot going on? On both sides?”

Jo plopped herself down into the side in front of Dean’s desk. “For one, his classes are a normal thing, he’s used to dealing with them. And the Jason thing is new. Besides, he can’t deal with that alone, you know that. He needs you for that one. You know, since you’re the one who can actually scare the bastard off? For two, he can probably help you with your dad. Having someone there helps a lot, you know. And with Henrickson…likewise, he could probably help with that too. Boyfriends are good for relieving stress.” She threw him a wink which earned her an eye roll.

Bobby looked over at the two as he ate his lunch. “You know, she’s right, Dean. I’ve only met the guy once and it’s obvious he’s different. You know I’m always here for you, but you have to sack up and go for it. We can’t do all your work for you, you know. Just get off your ass, quit your complainin’ and go for it, ya idjit.”

Dean looked between Bobby and Jo for a moment before looking away from either of them, lost in his own little world.

He’d never been so comfortable around someone in his entire life besides Sam and Jo. Even back in the impala when they were only making small talk, it was comfortable. Back at lunch he’d opened up to the guy and told him things he’d never told anyone, not even Sammy. Sam didn’t know anything about the accident that the cops or the doctors had told him. He didn’t know how much Dean knew or how long he’d been awake. They all thought he’d lost consciousness during that first collision. He hadn’t even meant to tell the entire story, it’d just slipped out.

At first, he’d expected to find a look of pity on Cas’s face when he’d told him. That’s why he didn’t tell anyone. He didn’t want their pity. But when he’d looked up at Cas finally, there was empathy, not pity. There was understanding and kindness. All the things he hadn’t been expecting to find. That’s what had motivated him to keep talking, to finally let it all out. And it had felt so good to finally be able to tell someone about it.

That’s when realization suddenly struck him. Cas really was different. He wasn’t like the normal guys you found who were only interested in sex and having you as arm candy. He actually valued relationships and everything that came with them. He was kind, generous, thoughtful. He was passionate about what he did, caring, and strong-minded. He was everything that Dean needed in his life.

He turned back to Jo, finding that her and Bobby had been watching his inner turmoil. “Okay.”

Her eyebrows came together in confusion. “Okay?”

He nodded, looking back and forth between the two of them before smiling and standing, heading towards the door. “You heard me. I said okay.” He walked out into the garage and got started on a car that had just come in. He needed to keep his hands busy as he worked through a plan of his own to win over Cas’s heart. He didn’t know exactly how he was going to do it, but he knew that tonight was too early. He wouldn’t have enough time to prepare since there was so much work to do at the shop.

 _Tomorrow,_ he thought, _tomorrow I’m going to win him over._


	6. Operation: Boyfriend- Day 4 (Friday)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan Operation: Boyfriend Day 4 is set into motion. Please try to refrain from hating me. =D

**Chapter 6- Day 4 (Friday)**

Friday’s and Saturday’s are always the busiest when it comes to bartending. That night found Dean and Gabe going from end to end of the bar serving customers left and right. Sam and Cas had shown up right before everything had gotten crazy.

They picked a table out of the way so they weren’t taking up space at the bar. They didn’t want to get in the way of all the paying customers or distract Dean and Gabe. They figured it’d be best to sit at a table and chat, drink a few beers, converse with Jo or Ellen when they’d walk by, send winks and smiles toward the bartenders.

They sat, swapping stories about their brothers and entertaining themselves for a few hours until it died down considerably and Gabe got off work. By that point, Sam had had quite a few to drink and was in no state to drive. Gabe marched back over to the bar after retrieving Sam’s keys. He tossed them to Dean when he looked up. Dean caught them in midair with a questioning look on his face.

“Your little brother’s sloshed. Those are his keys. I’m going to drive him home. And yes, back to your humble abode, not mine. Do me a favor and take my darling kid brother home? I don’t care who’s home. Yours, mine, ours, theirs, whomever. Just make sure he arrives in one piece or it’ll be your head, Dean-o. Nighty night!”

Dean rolled his eyes at Gabe’s speech and watched as he marched back over to Sam, lifted him from his seat, and helped him out the door of the bar, disappearing into the night.

Cas appeared at the bar moments later having no one to talk to anymore. He sat at a stool a little ways away from other paying customers. He took out his phone and scrolled through his missed messages. He hadn’t felt his phone go off, but apparently he’d missed a couple of calls from a woman he worked with and a few texts from friends. He made a mental note to call the woman back the next day as he sent off quick replies to his friends. He slid his phone back into his pocket and emptied the last of his beer.

Before he set the empty beer bottle down, another appeared in front of him. Dean smiled warmly as he twisted the cap off, throwing it over his shoulder and into the waste basket. “So Gabe took Sammy home?” Obviously, he already knew the answer given Gabe had walked over to inform him, but he wanted to start up a conversation. He’d wanted to all night, but it was difficult with Cas sitting clear across the room.

Cas nodded, “Yes, he was quite inebriated and Gabe offered to take him home. I told him I didn’t think you would mind.” Dean nodded, eyes searching the bar to see if anyone needed refills or another beer. As his eyes landed back on Cas, his smile widened into a more flirtatious one.

“So, what you doing after this?” He leaned on the bar on his elbows, occasionally scanning over the customers.

Suddenly a shy smile lit Cas’s face and he took a moment before he spoke. Cas had a plan of his own that he had been thinking about ever since lunch the day before. He had spoken to Gabe after Dean had dropped him off. Gabe had given him the same speech Jo and Bobby had given Dean, just worded slightly different.

It had motivated him to take matters into his own hands for once and make a move, to show Dean just how interested he was in the man. “Actually, I was hoping that if you weren’t busy once your shift ends, that we might…enjoy one’s company. Possibly watch a movie, have a few drinks.”

Dean’s smile widened and he straightened. He’d spotted a woman waving at him to get his attention. “Hold that thought, Cas.”

He could have accepted right away, he knew he was going to. He just wanted to make the man squirm a bit while he helped the customer. He poured her a couple of drinks, one for her and one for her friend, before returning to where he’d been standing.

“So, where were we?”

Dean noticed that Cas’s hands were shaking slightly from nerves. He could tell Cas didn’t normally make the first move. “Having a few drinks later.”

“Oh yes, that’s right. Count me in. Where?” Cas’s cheeks were starting to turn red as he ran through possible places in his mind. He hadn’t counted on Gabe taking Sam home, so he wasn’t sure where to suggest. Dean seemed to sense his inner turmoil so he decided to save him from himself.

“How about we go back to your apartment? Gabe will be at mine with Sammy, doing God knows what. I don’t even want to think about that, let alone be in proximity to it. I mean, if that’s fine by you, of course.”

Cas brightened, glad he didn’t have to be the one to suggest it. “Of course! That is fine with me. There’s plenty of beer in the fridge. Gabe restocked last night.”

Dean nodded, spotting another customer. “It’s a date.” He winked at Cas, who blushed once more, as he moved to serve waiting customers.

The night continued on like that: Cas slowly drinking a couple of beers as Dean switched between helping customers and maintaining a conversation with Cas. They kept it going for the last couple of hours of Dean’s shift. There was only an hour left and only about ten or so people in the bar when Ellen appeared by the two men. “Dean, you can go home. Jo and I can cover this.”

Dean looked up from the glass he’d been wiping down. “Are you sure? I don’t mind staying.”

She narrowed his eyes at him, letting him know she meant business. “I know full well that you don’t mind, Dean, but I also happen to know that you have plans tonight. It’s not that busy and two people are fully capable of handling it. Now get your ass out of here before I change my mind and have you stay and clean the place from top to bottom.”

Dean gulped, setting the glass down under the counter and moving out from behind the bar. He looked at Cas, seeing that he was a bit tipsy from the beers he’d drank throughout the night, and smiled. “I’ll drive. You’re…inebriated. Come on, Cas. Night, Ellen! Tell Jo I’ll see her tomorrow!”

He pulled Cas out of bar as Ellen waved goodbye to them. They stepped into the chilly night air and Cas shivered. Dean pulled him closer to him on instinct, sharing his body heat. They walked over to the impala and Dean opened his door, not sure how well it’d turn out if Cas tried to on his own. He wasn’t that drunk, but he was getting a little goofy.

Dean was shocked the guy wasn’t flat out drunk from all the beer he’d consumed throughout the night. He hopped into the driver’s seat and made his way in the direction they lived. “So, Cas, where do you live again? I know we live close by, but I can’t remember the street name.”

Cas looked over with a small smile on his face, who knew why, “Elmer. Second floor. Apartment 2b.”

Dean smiled over at him, finding Cas quite amusing. They arrived at the apartment and Dean helped Cas upstairs. He didn’t need that much help, but every now and then he would miss a step and almost fall. Dean would catch him, chuckle, and they’d continue on their way.

They made it into the apartment finally and Cas shut the door behind them. It was dark, so he flipped on the lights to reveal a clean, tidy apartment. It wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t too small either. It was the perfect size for two grown men to share. There were drawings hanging up here and there along the walls in the small living room and the hallway leading to multiple other rooms Dean assumed were his and Gabe’s rooms and a bathroom.

Cas rounded the corner, pulling Dean into the living room. He walked into the kitchen and Dean heard him opening the fridge. “Go ahead and make yourself at home. I’ll get a couple beers.” Dean nodded, but instead of sitting down on the couch, he looked around at all the different drawings. He assumed they were Cas’ since he didn’t see Gabe as the drawing type.

When Cas entered with the beers, Dean was looking at a quite interesting piece of a sunset. The different colors that were blended together fascinated Dean, even though he knew absolutely nothing about art.

Cas handed him the beer and stood next to him, admiring his piece. “I drew that a couple of years ago, I believe.” Dean nodded, taking it all in. He’d never stopped to wonder if Cas was any good or not, he’d always assumed he was. And he had just proven it.

“Are there any more?” Cas looked up at him with a shy smile. “Yeah, there’s some in my room from a couple of years ago. I think shortly after I drew this.”

Dean smiled, “I’d like to see them, if you don’t mind. Your art is really interesting.”

The smile on Cas’s face widened as he walked down the hallway towards his room with Dean following close behind. They stepped into a room that was just as tidy as the rest of the apartment Dean had seen so far. The walls were light blue with black borders. The drawings were sitting in a bin on the other side of the room.

Dean walked over to them, setting his beer down on the desk and started to flip through them, taking each piece in.

The pieces were in chronological order from when Cas had made them. They started off as random things. Different objects, perspectives, landscapes. Then they started to gather a theme. Dean immediately recognized this theme as the one Gabe had told him about from when Cas was younger and his mom had died.

There were beautiful pictures. Some were of angels, some were of wings of different shapes, sizes, and colors, some were of feathers of the same varieties. Dean watched the dates on all of these themed drawings, coming to a strange realization. The first picture of an angel was drawn the day he was in the accident, the day he went into the coma. He kept flipping through the drawings, there was at least one for each day.

The same theme continued for three and a half months until a new image started to pop into the same drawings. They started out with just a man. He was alone, surrounded by darkness. The different colors seemed to portray some kind of pain. As they continued, Dean quickly realized that the man was in Hell. He stopped on the most beautiful drawing he’d come across so far. He pulled it out of the bin and just looked at it, taking it all in.

Cas had drawn an angel with deep blue eyes the color of the ocean pulling a man with deep forest green eyes out of Hell. The angel left a handprint on his arm, a symbol of his salvage. The angel looked fierce as he pulled the damaged man from the fiery pits of Hell. It was fascinating. Dean had never seen anything so…beautiful. He looked at the date on the painting and realized that it had been drawn on the day that Dean had awoken from his coma. The day he had miraculously woken when there’d been no hope.

He turned to look at Cas, trying to come up with some kind of logical explanation for the coincidence. Cas was replying to a quick text as he sat on his bed. It was obvious to Dean that the alcohol was starting to hit him and he smiled. He made a mental note to ask him about the drawings tomorrow when he was sober as he placed the drawing back into the bin, not realizing that the next drawing had nothing to do with the angel theme.

Dean picked up his beer and pulled Cas into the living room. He sat them both down on the couch and looked at Cas, smiling.

“So, Cas, this is a nice place you got here.” Cas smiled and nodded more enthusiastically then needed, an effect of the alcohol. “Thank you, Dean. I rather enjoy it. Though my father would greatly disagree. He is not…fun.”

Dean chuckled, “Fun? How so?” Cas looked around his apartment for a few moments. Long enough for Dean to wonder if he’d forgotten what they were talking about given his state of intoxication.

“My father doesn’t approve of most of the way I choose to lead my life, same with Gabe...Gabriel. When he learned I was going to become an art teacher, he was furious. He said it was a waste of time and that I would never amount to anything. I remember that day quite clearly. That was also the day I told him I am gay. He all but disowned me at that. Actually, I think he did disown me. I have not heard from him in…years. I do not believe Gabby has either.”

“Gabby? Wow, you really are drunk. You know, you don’t have to tell me all this if you don’t want to, Cas.” Dean placed a hand on Cas’s letting him know that he understood.

Cas shook his head and continued, “No, that is quite alright, Dean. I have come to terms with it years ago as we were never that close. I was so angry that he disapproved so strongly about my career choice that I suddenly blurted out my deepest secret. He had been speechless for many moments before finally he exploded into a fit of rage. If Gabby hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have happened. My father raised his hand to hit me, but Gabe stepped in between us. He told our father to back off and that if he hit either of us that he would call the cops. That is when Gabby also came out of the closet. Why do they call it coming out of the closet, Dean? Why use that term? Why not come out of the car, come out of the house…maybe even come out of the dark. These choices seem much more suitable than the closet. I do not understand.”

Dean was astonished at the way Cas expertly switched topics right in the middle of his story. He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face as he shook his head and attempted to get Cas back on track.

“Cas, what happened after Gabe came out to your father?” Cas looked up confused for a moment before remembering what they’d been talking about.

“Oh yes. Gabby threatened to expose my father and have him arrested. He said he would tell the cops about all the years of our childhood and tell them what my father had done. Of course that frightened him and he backed off. But not before kicking us out and telling us not to come back.”

Dean nodded, remembering his own childhood and suddenly fearing for the following weekend when Sam planned to come out to their own father.

“Cas…what did your father do? When you were a kid, what did he do?”

Cas looked at him peacefully, too intoxicated to really let the conversation bother him all that much. He was definitely one of those happy drunks.

“Why, Dean, he hit me. After my mother died, he would come into my room and vent his frustrations on me. I wasn’t sure what to do since I was just a kid, so I didn’t tell Gabby. We weren’t that close anyway. One day I let Gabby into my room though after months. He saw my drawings and was fascinated by them, but he was also scared. You see, I had drawn a man trapped in Hell. A man who was abandoned by his father and forced to face the real world alone. I drew pain, suffering, loneliness. The drawings had come to me when I was sleeping, after my father would leave my room. You know, the only thing that got me through was an image that repeatedly came to me. It was of a boy a few years older than me…he would come to me in my dreams and help me through it. I thought I was crazy so I never drew the boy. I still remember what he looks like though. Kind of like you actually. But Gabe saw the drawings and started asking questions. He found out what our father had been doing and had put a stop to it immediately. I don’t know how…but the beatings stopped. That’s when Gabe started getting into fights at school. He would get bruises on his arms that I saw when he wore t-shirts. There were some on his neck and face a couple of times. Whenever I would ask, he would always say that the kids at his school just liked to fight.”

Dean sucked in a breath. Everything that Cas was telling him hit him right in his gut. Cas’s father abused him after his mother had died. He’d kept his sanity because of a boy that looked like Dean who he’d see in his dreams every night. Cas had seen a little boy with deep forest green eyes and freckles who was in a very similar situation, yet different. Cas had dreamt of a little boy who kept his sanity by dreaming of a boy a few years younger than him with scruffy black hair and deep ocean blue eyes. Then the information about Gabe sunk in and the knot in his stomach tightened. He knew instantly that Gabe had traded places with Cas in order to protect him and that Cas didn’t know. He’d been too young to make the connection. He knew because he connected with Gabe on a level that only protective older brothers could.

“I stopped dreaming of the boy for years. I didn’t know why. I actually missed seeing him in my dreams. Then a few of years ago he returned. He looked exactly like he had when I’d seen him as a child, which I thought was strange, but realized that I appeared as a younger version of myself as well. It was when I was with Jason and he had started doing exactly like my father had done to me. I saw the boy the night of the first beating. He was the reason I had hope that maybe things would get better. He was why I hadn’t just given up. He was there the night I almost died. I didn’t see him after that until a year or so later. We talked in my dreams a lot. One night I asked him not to go anywhere, that I enjoyed talking to him. He told me that there was nowhere for him to go, that he was stuck. He told me that all he remembered was glass shattering and then he became stuck in blackness.”

Dean couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Cas really telling him what he thought he was telling him? That…No, there was no way it was possible. This was impossible. It was all just a huge coincidence.

“One night he told me he didn’t want to be in the blackness anymore. He said he had a little brother waiting for him and that he needed to protect him. I told him to start fighting. Just fight his way out. That’s when images of Hell started appearing mixed in with angels. It confused me, but I never told a soul. I assumed it was my consciousness’s way of telling me something, though I had no idea as to what. I helped him fight his way free of his Hell. I had to help him get back to his little brother, even though I would miss him. I could not be selfish though, so I helped him. The last night I saw him, an angel pulled him free of his Hell. It was an angel with eyes the color of mine, which I thought was weird, but thought nothing of it. The last thing I saw before I woke up was the image of a handprint on the man’s arm where the angel had grabbed him and pulled him out of Hell. I never saw the little boy again. I hope he found his little brother. I miss him.”

Dean smiled as he looked into Cas’s eyes. “He did find his little brother. And he misses you too.”


	7. Operation: Boyfriend Days 4 & 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of Day 4 which leads into Day 5. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7- Day 4 & 5 (Friday & Saturday)**

Cas tilted his head to the side in confusion. “How can you possibly know that, Dean? You were not in my dreams.”

Dean placed his hand back over Cas’s like he had done a little bit ago. “Cas, all those years ago…back when you were a kid dreaming about a little boy, there was a boy a few years older than you with green eyes and freckles dreaming about a boy a few years younger than him with scruffy black hair and blue eyes. He was lost. He didn’t know what to do. The boy with the green eyes was trapped in his own world. His father became a drunk when his brother suddenly died from a cancer that he hadn’t told anyone he had. The boy’s father would get drunk every night and fall into a pit of madness. He went after the little boy’s younger brother one night, but the boy stepped in and refused to move out of the way. The boy with the green eyes stepped in every night for months to make sure that his little brother didn’t get hurt. The only thing that kept his sanity was his dreams. In his dreams, he made a friend. A friend who was going through a situation a lot like the one he was in and he was able to relate. They helped each other through it until one night the beatings stopped. The little boy’s mother found out. You see, she’d been away on business a lot and didn’t know what was going on. When she found out, she made the little boy’s father go to rehab and get better.”

Cas was listening intently to Dean’s story, seeming to sober up a bit at the seriousness of the way Dean was talking. It was something about the look in Dean’s eyes that glued Cas to his seat and had a knot building in his stomach.

“When the little boy’s father came home, he didn’t drink. He was nicer, didn’t hit his children. He had become a different man. Over the course of a few years, he slowly became bitter. He yearned for the taste of the whiskey he’d drink, for the escape from his life, but he had made a promise to his family that he would stop, and he did. The little boy didn’t see his friend in his dreams anymore. He missed his friend a lot. He’d confided in the boy with everything and trusted him with his life. Somehow, he knew that he’d see the little boy again one day and he hoped it would be in person. One day many years later, after the boy became a man, the little boy appeared to him in his dreams again. Nothing was happening in his life where he needed help, so he knew the boy did. He was there for him, he gave the little boy hope. He told him to keep going, to push through the pain and survive. It wasn’t long before the little boy disappeared again. A year or so later, the man was in a car accident. Glass flew everywhere, cutting him. Once he succumbed to the darkness, he became trapped. He saw himself as he had when he was little, the same little boy who was scared of the darkness because the darkness brought pain. That’s when the little blue-eyed boy from his childhood appeared to him and made him feel better. He was often alone, scared, waiting for the little boy to return since the little boy would have to leave, go back to his life. When he would return, they would talk and laugh, make each other feel better.”

Cas’s eyes filled with tears as realization was suddenly starting to hit him like a ton of bricks. He was starting to understand what Dean was telling him. He no longer felt intoxicated as the seriousness of the conversation eradicated the last traces of alcohol from his brain.

“One day the green-eyed boy told his friend about his little brother, that he needed to get back to him so he could protect him. He needed to get back to his little brother. He was waiting for him. The blue-eyed boy told the green-eyed boy to fight, fight the darkness and get back to his brother. The boy was scared though, he didn’t know how to fight. His friend promised to be there for him, promised to help him, and he did. He turned into an angel and saved the little boy from his mind’s version of Hell. He pulled him from Hell and sent him back to his little brother. He felt the sting of a handprint on his arm as he drifted away from the darkness and back to reality. The man opened his eyes and found his little brother waiting for him. He didn’t tell anyone about the little boy who’d saved him from himself. He never saw that little boy again. Until one day he walked into a café, his favorite café, and saw the man the little boy, his friend, had become. He was there, in real life. He chalked it up to coincidence, similarities, maybe seeing the man as a kid when they were younger and putting his face onto his imaginary friend who would help him through the night. He put the very idea of it really being his friend to the back of his mind as he slowly began to befriend the man. They would see each other every day, sometimes more than once. He began to like the man and really wanted to get to know him better. So he came up with a plan, a way to really get to know who this man was. The man invited him back to his apartment for drinks even though he’d already had quite a few already and was getting to be drunk.”

Cas swallowed, knowing full well what Dean was telling him, but he was speechless. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

“The green-eyed man found some drawings. Drawings that indicated the blue-eyed man’s existence in his dreams, but he didn’t make the realization yet. They sat down on the couch and began to talk. The blue-eyed man was drunk and started talking about his past. He mentioned a little boy from his dreams, a boy with green eyes. Realization started to sink in for the man with green eyes as the blue-eyed man continued to tell his story of how he’d befriended a little boy and then pulled him from Hell years later. The green-eyed man realized that his friend, his angel, was sitting right in front of him.”

Cas stared at Dean in wonder. A tear slipped down his cheek before he was able to stop it.   
“How…?”

Dean shook his head. “I don’t know, Cas. I don’t know. What I do know is that we’ve known each other for years. We knew each other back when we were just kids who didn’t know what the hell to do. We formed some kind of bond that never went away. I have no idea how it’s even possible, but I do know that it happened. I’m not scared anymore, Cas.”

Cas smiled and leaned towards Dean a little. “I am not either, Dean. What do we do?”

It was Dean’s turn to smile as he leaned closer to Cas. “We make the most of it. I don’t know about you, but…I don’t want to miss you anymore.”

Cas’s smile widened as he closed the distance between them and their lips met. It was a slow kiss, a first kiss. One that they would look back on and always remember no matter where life would take them, whether it be away from each other or closer together.

Dean’s hands made their way to Cas’s waist and he pulled him closer. He didn’t want to move too fast, but he wanted to be closer to him. His arms wrapped themselves around Cas’s waist and he held him in place.

After a few minutes of kissing, they broke away and stared into each other’s eyes. They both had smiles on their faces. Cas rested his head on Dean’s shoulder as Dean started to rub his hand up and down Cas’s back.

Cas looked up at Dean after a while, his smile still in place. “Why don’t we go to bed?” Dean smiled mischievously at Cas and wiggled his eyebrows. “Damn, Cas, I didn’t know you wanted to move that fast.” Cas rolled his eyes at Dean’s sarcastic tone.

“I merely meant so that neither of us have to sleep on the couch and I am getting tired. Also, I have been without you for years. I do not wish to be without you any longer than necessary.”

Dean’s smile turned genuine and he nodded. He stood, pulling Cas along with him. “Come on, Cas, let’s get to bed.”

They walked into the bedroom together, stripped down to their undershirts and boxers, and crawled into bed. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and pulled him into his chest. Cas rolled onto his side and rested his head on Dean’s chest. His right hand came up to rest on Dean’s chest as well and he intertwined his fingers with Dean’s left hand.

“Good night, Dean.”

“Good night, my angel.”

**SPN**

Cas awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon. He rolled over to see that Dean was no longer in bed. He stretched before getting out of bed and walking down the hallway towards the kitchen.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he spotted Dean standing in front of the stove cooking pancakes, eggs, and bacon while a pot of coffee was brewing. It all smelled amazing. Dean was still only wearing his undershirt and boxers as he hadn’t bothered to put on his pants before coming out into the kitchen.

Cas walked up behind Dean quietly and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, resting his chin on Dean’s shoulder. “Good morning, Dean.”

Dean smiled as he felt the arms around his waist and the rumble through his back from Cas’s voice. He continued flipping the pancakes as he responded, “Good morning, Cas. How do you like your eggs?”

Cas smiled as he looked at all of the food. “Whatever way you make them will be just fine. You didn’t have to go to all of this trouble, Dean.”

He chuckled as he stirred the eggs. “Just wanted to do something nice. It’s no big deal, really.”

He continued cooking breakfast as Cas stepped away from him to get a cup of coffee. Dean turned off all of the burners and made them each a plate of food.

They ate in relative silence as they savored the food and just being in each other’s company after so many years of only knowing each other through their dreams. Neither of them could believe that they had finally found each other.

Once they ate, they helped each other with the dishes and went out into the living room to talk. Once they sat down on the couch, Cas turned to Dean.

“I don’t think we should tell anyone about the dreams. They would most likely assume us insane.”

Dean chuckled and nodded, wrapping his arms around Cas and pulling him in closer. “I agree. I’ve never told anyone, so it doesn’t bother me. And I’d rather not get carted off to the looney bin so soon after finally finding you. But…what do we tell them? I mean…now that we _are_ together, I’m not going to be able to keep my distance.”

Cas looked up at him with a soft expression. “Nor do I want you to keep your distance. They have been scheming to get us together since we met on Monday so I believe it is safe to presume they will not be surprised if we were to suddenly be in a relationship. It is quite obvious to them that we like each other.”

Dean couldn’t stop smiling. He loved how his life was. He had a successful business doing something he loved, he had a second job that brought in even more money that he didn’t despise, he had a little brother who cared for him a great deal, he had awesome friends, and he had his angel.

He kissed the top of Cas’s head before resting against it. “So, does that mean we’re officially dating?”

He felt the rumble of Cas’s laugh through his chest. “I believe so, yes. We are officially in a relationship, Dean.”

**SPN**

Throughout the remainder of the day, they stayed together, not wanting to separate quite yet. All too soon, it became time for them to get Dean to his apartment so he could get ready for work. Cas got ready in his own apartment quickly so as not to make Dean late or have to rush.

Soon after they arrived at Dean’s apartment complex and walked up to the apartment holding hands. They hadn’t stopped talking, sharing stories, getting to know each other better. They wanted to know everything about each other, everything they’d missed during their years apart.

They walked into the apartment to find Sam sprawled on the couch and Gabe sleeping soundly next to him. Dean raised an eyebrow at the two before looking down at his watch, checking the time.

“Hey, Sammy, doesn’t Gabe have to work at four?” Sam nodded, not looking away from the tv.

“Well, hate to break it to you, but so do I and four is in forty-five minutes. Might wanna wake sleeping beauty up.”

Sam rolled his eyes, but still didn’t take his eyes off of the tv, still not realizing that Dean hadn’t come alone.

“I will here in a minute. So where have you been all day, Dean? You didn’t come home last night and I was starting to get worried. Gabe mentioned you took Cas home last night but we figured you’d be back. Cas didn’t kidnap you or anything, did he?”

“I did not kidnap your brother, Sam.” Sam’s head snapped towards the entrance where Dean and Cas were standing, still holding hands and smiling like idiots. Sam’s face flushed red. His eyes shot down to their linked hands and a huge smile formed on his face. He leapt off of the couch, effectively knocking Gabe onto the floor and ran towards him.

He wrapped his arms around the two and almost lifted them off the ground with his enormous bear hug. “It’s about damn time, you two!! So, when did this happen? Last night? Today? What happened? How’d it happen? Details, Dean.”

Dean laughed, rolling his eyes. Gabe was picking himself up off the floor with a groan, not aware as to why he’d been flipped onto the ground.

“What the hell, Samsquatch. Why did I just fall onto the floor? That wasn’t a very comfortable way of waking up, you know.”

Gabe looked up at the entrance where the three men were standing. His eyes also shot down to Dean and Cas’s entwined hands and he grinned. Dean could have sworn he looked like the Cheshire cat at that moment.

“Well it’s about damn time!! Details. Now. Both of you. When, how, where, why, everything. Sit. Tell. Share. Come on!”

He pulled Sam over to the couch and they sat down, waiting. Dean sighed, rolling his eyes. He pulled Cas over to the arm chair and sat down, pulling Cas onto his lap, earning a blush from Cas.

Dean started, “Fine. I took Cas home, we had a couple of beers and got to talking. We kissed. Then we fell asleep. I woke up in the morning, made breakfast, and we talked some more. Then we made it official. We spent the day together, then we came here so I can get ready for work, which you also need to do since we go in at the same time. Are we all caught up?”

Sam rolled his eyes, but he knew that they wouldn’t get any more out of him. “Yeah, we’re all caught up. For now. Just warning you, Dean, I will get more out of you later.”

Dean rolled his eyes once more as Gabe pointed at Cas. “Same with you, little brother. Oh, and Dean-o? If you lay a finger on my little brother, you and me. Won’t be pretty. Kapiche?”

Dean smiled, nodding. “Understood, Chief. But do you really think I would? After getting rid of that douchebag? If I ever do that, I’ll beat myself up, deal?”

Gabe seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded, extending his hand towards Dean who took it and shook. “Deal.”

Cas smiled at Gabe’s approval and turned around to look at Dean. He placed a hand on his cheek, fully aware that Sam and Gabe were watching, but he didn’t care. He leaned down at planted his lips on Dean’s. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’s waist tighter, not wanting the kiss to end.

Gabe’s nose scrunched up and he looked at Sam. “Suddenly I know exactly how Dean-o feels when he complains about watching us. Something about watching your little brother make out with his boyfriend is a total turn-off.”

Dean laughs against Cas’s lips, but doesn’t break away to respond. After a couple of minutes, he suddenly remembers that he still has to get ready for work. He pulls away from Cas reluctantly and smiles. “As much as I want to continue, I really do need to get ready for work.”

Cas sighed, knowing full well that he had to get off of his lap. He placed another kiss on Dean’s lips before sliding off his lap and allowing him to go get ready for work while he sat and talked with Sam. Gabe and Dean shared the bathroom, not while either was taking a shower, but just when they did their hair, brushed their teeth, ect.

Because they had to share the bathroom, it took a bit longer for both men to get ready. Once they were, they both emerged in the living room. Cas looked up as Dean walked into the room and couldn’t resist the smile that appeared on his face at the sight of Dean, his boyfriend.

“Well, we’re ready to go. What’s the plan here? Gabe can ride with me to work so that the two of you have a car since both of your cars are currently at the Roadhouse. Considering you both were too drunk to drive last night.”

He chuckled as he sat on the arm of the chair that Cas was sitting in. Cas placed his hand on Dean’s back, rubbing it softly. Sam smiled at the two of them, happy for his big brother.

“That’s fine with me. Cas and I can hang out here for a while if that’s fine with him and then meet you at the bar later.”

Dean nodded, looking down at Cas for confirmation. “That is fine with me. I was planning on going to the Roadhouse later like usual.” Dean smiled down at Cas knowing he’d get to see him later at the bar. H glanced at his watch and winced.

“Shit, Gabe, come on. We’re gonna be late. I’ll see ya later, Sammy.” He leaned down and kissed Cas goodbye, whispering in his ear that he’ll see him later, and moved towards the door with Gabe right behind him.

They left Cas and Sam in the apartment as they made their way to work. They walked through the doors right on time and sighed in relief that they weren’t late. Not that it would have mattered much before the bar was empty save for Ellen, Jo, Ash, and Benny.

Benny was the cook that Ellen had hired a few weeks ago after the cook had suddenly quit. Dean walked in with a smile on his face as he said hello to everyone. Jo appeared next to Dean with a suspicious look on her face.

“Spill. Why are you so happy?”

Dean rolled his eyes at her as he moved to stand behind the counter while Gabe parked himself on one of the stools and talked to Ellen and Ash. Benny was in the kitchen getting prepared for tonight.

“Can’t I just be happy, Jo? Does there need to be a reason? Or can I just simply be enjoying being alive, having good friends, a successful business, and an awesome little brother? Not to mention no parents in sight. It’s just a good day.”

Jo stared him down, determined to figure out what was going on. She turned to look at Gabe. “Gabe! What’s going on with Dean? Why’s he happy?” Dean shot him a death glare saying, “You better not tell her. I want to in my own way.”

He nodded covertly and looked at Jo. “Why, I have no idea. He was shut tight like a clam on the ride here. Maybe we’ll get it out of him later.”

She reluctantly relented and left Dean to his duties while she got prepared for tonight herself. The night turned into a blur as a lot of people started coming through the door. A lot of alcohol was served, which kept Gabe and Dean busy while they waited for their boyfriends to show up.

It was a good hour or so into the rush when Sam and Cas walked through the door. Dean looked up as he had been doing every time the door opened. A smile instantly appeared on his face as he caught sight of Cas.

He was wearing dark wash jeans with a black v-neck shirt that clung to his body. Dean gulped as he took in Cas’s appearance. Gabe appeared beside Dean, nodding at his brother’s attire. “It seems my Samsquatch talked little Cassie into changing it up a bit. Careful there, Dean-o. Wouldn’t want you to be caught drooling over your new boyfriend by Jo. That’d be certain to tip her off.”

He rolled his eyes, but closed his mouth since it had fallen open. Cas and Sam took seats at the end of the bar, trying to stay out of the way of the other customers. Dean made his way over to them and smiled.

“Glad you two could make it.” He placed ice cold beers in front of both of them, winked at Cas, and walked away. Jo had watched the entire encounter. From the time the two had sat down to where Dean had winked at Cas. She was very curious.

She waited throughout the night until a good majority of the customers had left. It had taken a few hours given it was a Saturday night, but she was patient. There were only a few people left at the bar, a couple of occupied tables, and a group playing pool in the back. She walked over to where Gabe and Dean were talking to Sam and Cas at the bar.

She wrapped her arm around Dean’s shoulders, making him jump since he hadn’t been paying much attention to anything other than Cas.

He turned and looked at her. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. What’s up?” She smiled widely at him before standing on his tiptoes and pulling him down a bit so she could reach his ear. She whispered into his ear, making him blush and look down at the bar in silence.

Her smile widened as she looked over to see the three other men watching the two curiously. Her eyes locked on Cas as she tried to figure out just what about the man was making Dean so happy. She’d figured out that it had been Cas who had made Dean walk in with a smile on his face, but why?

“Okay, Dean. It’s time to spill. I’ve given you enough time.” He looked up at her with a mischievous smile.

“You really wanna know why?” She nodded furiously, looking expectantly at Dean. Gabe rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, Dean-o. Just tell her. She’s your best friend. She deserves to know.”

Jo looked at Gabe in shock. “Wait, Gabe knows and I don’t?! What the hell, Dean!”

Dean threw a glare at Gabe, that was obviously lost since he was smiling at Sam. “Fine. How about this for an answer.”

He stepped away from Jo and moved around to the other side of the bar. He walked up to Cas, turned him towards him, and placed a nice long kiss on his lips. Jo gasped as she watched Cas relax into the kiss instead of freezing up like he would have if it would have been their first.

When they broke away, she stared at Dean in shock. “So you did it? You grew some balls and did it?”

Dean rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Yes, Jo. I did it. Or he did. Whatever, we both did. It was mutual, I guess.” She shrieked in excitement and started jumping up and down.

“Oh my goodness!! It’s about damn time!”

Dean looked down at Cas slightly amused. “You notice how every time someone finds out they say that it’s about damn time?”

Cas chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I have noticed that, but I wasn’t going to say anything.”

He smiled and looked up at Jo as he wrapped an arm around Cas’s shoulders. “So, are you satisfied now?”

“Oh, hell no. I want details. When did it happen? Where, how? Tell me, Dean! Right now!”

He laughed and shook his head. “Nah, I’ll make you wait for the juicy details until Monday morning. That should be long enough to torture you.”

She gaped in horror that she would have to wait that long to learn more about what had happened between the two. Frankly, she wasn’t that surprised that Dean was making her wait. She figured he just didn’t want to go into every detail and gossip like they sometimes do in front of his new boyfriend. She nodded reluctantly and smiled. She couldn’t wait until Monday.


	8. Beware of Frat Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when a frat boy shows up at the shop? Something happens to make Dean a hell of a lot more protective of his best friend and also end up somewhere where neither of them wanna be. In the end, Dean opens up to Cas about a part of his past he's never told anyone before. Whump!

**Chapter 8**

Sunday was spent with Cas at Dean and Sam’ apartment and Sam at Cas and Gabe’s apartment. Neither couple had contact with the outside world as they spent some quality time with their boyfriends. In Sam and Gabe’s case, they spent their time preparing Sam for an exam and watching old movies. Dean and Cas talked most of the day and fell asleep in each other’s arms while watching a movie that had come on the tv.

All four of the men had loved their weekend and were not ready to go back to the real world on Monday morning, but they pulled themselves out of bed and got ready for their day.

Dean left the apartment before Cas did as Cas had class a little later and Dean had to open up the shop. He was the first one there, before Bobby, and got things ready for the day.

It was a good half hour before his workers started making their way through the door and before Bobby finally showed up with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Dean frowned at the sight, jealous of the coffee.

“What’s your problem this mornin’, boy?”

“I forgot to grab a cup to go this morning as I was heading out.”

Just as Bobby was about to make a response, the door to their shared office opened and Cas walked in with a cup of coffee.

Dean’s eyes flew to the steaming cup in his boyfriend’s hand and he tried to contain his excitement.

“Cas, what are you doing here?” Cas smiled at him as he walked across the room and set the cup in front of Dean.

“You left without your cup of coffee, so I figured I’d bring it to you since I have some time before class.”

Bobby’s eyebrows shot up his forehead at the implication. Dean smiled, not paying any attention to the older man as he stood and walked around the desk. He wrapped his arms around Cas’s waist, pulling him against him loosely. He placed a small peck on his lips before looking him in the eye.

“Thanks, babe. Just what I needed.”

A smile grew on Cas’s face and he leaned in to give Dean a better kiss. They broke away after a moment and Dean dropped his arms.

“I will let you get back to work. I will see you tonight.”

Dean nodded and watched Cas leave the office before turning and grabbing his coffee. He took a sip and almost groaned. It was just the way he liked it.

He happened to look over and see Bobby staring at him.

“What?”

“So…you and Cas.”

“Yep.”

“About damn time.”

Dean rolled his eyes as once again someone used that line to refer to the two of them. The conversation ended and both men buried themselves in their work and what needed to be done before customers started rolling in.

It wasn’t long after Cas had left when Jo came bouncing into the office and plopped down in the chair in front of Dean’s desk.

“Dean. It’s Monday.”

“Good observation, Jo. I’m glad you were able to figure that out.”

She snorted, “Dean. You said details on Monday. It’s Monday. Now, details.”

He finally looked up at her from what he was working on and sighed. “Fine. What do you wanna know?”

She sat up in her seat, clearly excited. “Everything, of course!”

Bobby set down his pen so he could listen. Dean took another sip of his coffee before he started. “Well, Ellen sent me home early Friday night. Gabe had taken Sammy home since he was drunk and asked me to take Cas home before it was obvious there was no way he could drive either. So, Cas suggested that we go up to his apartment and have a couple of beers. I accepted like the gentleman I am.”

That remark earned him a snort, but with a glare thrown her way, she shut up and let him continue.

“So, we had a couple of beers. Well, more like one. I flipped through some of his art pieces, which are really good, by the way. We sat down on the couch and started talking about his past, then about my past. One thing lead to another and he kissed me. That’s as far as it went because by that time it was bout three in the morning and we were both ready to pass out, so that’s what we did. We went to bed. I got up early the next morning and made breakfast. We ate, cleaned up, and then we talked some more. That’s when we made it official. Happy now?”

Jo was practically beside herself with happiness. She hadn’t been expecting him to give up as much as he had, but definitely wasn’t complaining.

“That’s so adorable, Dean! It only took forever for you to man up, but good. It’s obvious you make each other happy. That much is clear by the way you two act around each other.”

Bobby snorted. “And the way they make out.”

Dean rolled his eyes as he took another sip of coffee. He let Bobby explain that Cas had brought him a cup of coffee and waved it off as nothing as Jo got all excited again.

“It’s just a cup of coffee, Jo. He knew I forgot to grab one and dropped it off. No big deal.”

“Okay, you go ahead and live in your fantasy world where that’s not the most adorable boyfriend thing ever. Me, on the other hand, I am going to be excited for you. One of us needs to be.”

Dean shook his head slightly and looked down at his desk. He realized that all of his paperwork was done so he stood and walked towards the door, coffee in hand.

“You do that, Jo, but while you’re sitting on your ass, I’m going to go get some work done.”

He went out into the shop and started cleaning down some tools that really looked like they needed it. He spent the next hour and a half cleaning various tools and work stations before he was satisfied with his work.

Just as he was about to sit down and make some much needed phone calls, a wave of customers came in and he was needed in the shop.

All four of the mechanics were up to their elbows in grease, literally. It stayed that way until it was time for them to take a break for lunch and people started clearing out, heading to lunch themselves.

Dean sent Adam and Dr. Badass off to lunch with the promise that they would bring something back for Charlie. Bobby left with the same promise of bringing something back for him and Jo since they would be the three people to stay and watch the shop while everyone else left.

Right as Dean was about to walk into his office, he heard the front door chime which meant another customer had come in. He walked into the office to see a guy in what seemed to be his mid-twenties. “What can I do for you, sir?”

The guy looked up at Dean, slightly taken back by Dean’s broad shoulders and bad boy look. It didn’t faze him in the slightest as he was used to it.

“Yeah, um…my car’s acting up and I have absolutely no clue when it comes to cars…I was hoping Jo could take a look at it.”

Dean’s brow furrowed at the request. Sure, they had their regulars who asked specifically for himself or Jo to look at their cars, but never someone they’d never seen before.

“I’ll just holler for her, see if she’s busy.”

The guy nodded as Dean sent a look in Charlie’s direction and left the main lobby. He walked into the garage and looked around for Jo, spotting her underneath an old car they fixed on the side when they got bored.

“Hey, Jo! Some guy’s here requesting you look at his car. I’ll tell him you’re busy if you want.”

She rolled out from underneath of the car and furrowed her brow. “Some guy? Who?”

“I don’t know. Some guy. I’d say mid-twenties. Like a frat boy or something.”

She rolled her eyes. She hated the frat boys. They were all the same in her book. All they wanted was to get in her pants and then brag to their friends about the chick they nailed. She found it very disgusting.

“Whatever. Tell him to bring it around and I’ll take a look.”

Dean went back into the office and told him to bring his car around to the garage and pull it in. When the guy had left, he looked over at Charlie. “Was it just me or did he seem weird?”

She nodded. “Definitely from the weird pool. Although, I’d say it comes with the territory because it looked like he was in a frat.”

He nodded, deciding that he’d keep an eye on him.

**SPN**

“That’s it! Okay, pop the hood and then go wait in the main lobby until I’m done. It’s more comfortable in there. And clean. I’ll let you know when it’s done. Lobby’s right through that door.”

She pointed to the door that had a sign hung above it reading: Main Lobby. He smirked at her as he popped the hood and shut his door.

“Nah, I think I’d rather stay out here. Keep you company and make sure nothing gets broken.”

“Um, dude. Something’s probably already broken if you’re bringing your car into the mechanic. But whatever. There’s a stool over there.”

She gestured to a stool on the other side of the garage, trying to make him get the hint to back off, as she lifted the hood and took a look inside.

However, he didn’t seem to catch on and remained quite close to Jo, invading her personal bubble as she liked to call it.

She checked a few things under the hood, but everything seemed to be in perfect running order. “What was it you said your car was doing?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

She stopped what she was doing, suddenly not sure what to make of the situation. “Your car _is_ acting up, right? I mean…what is it doing for you to bring it in here?”

“It’s magnetic.”

She straightened and turned to face him. “What?”

“You know, it’s a real ladies magnet. They can’t seem to stay away from her as soon as they get close.”

He had been coming closer to her at every word and was now standing directly in front of her.

“Look, sir, if your car has nothing wrong with it, I’m going to have to ask you to please leave.”

She turned around and shut the hood. She walked a couple of steps away before suddenly he was right in front of her again. “Aw, come on now, sugar, don’t be that way. I came all this way to see you.”

She internally groaned, not liking where this was going one bit. She took another step away, but was only able to get a step before he was in front of her again and this time he pushed her up against the driver’s door, pinning her to the car. Right as she was about to yell for Dean, who was in the office, he placed a hand over her mouth, knowing exactly what she’d planned on doing.

“Oh no, sweetheart. There will be none of that.” She started to struggle against him, but he wasn’t having that either. He backhanded her with his free hand, causing the ring on one of his fingers to scrape her cheek, leaving a line of blood to swell at the surface and slide down her cheek.

She continued to fight against him, no matter how strong he was or what he did. Suddenly, he pulled something out of his pocket with his free hand and switched it with the hand that was covering her mouth.

“There, there, Jo. I won’t hurt you. It’s gonna be alright, you’ll see.”

Jo’s vision started to blur and go fuzzy at the corners. Her mind was screaming at her body to move, get help, make some kind of loud noise and get Dean’s attention, but her body wouldn’t respond any longer. She was getting weaker and weaker…

**SPN**

Dean sat down behind his desk to get a start on some paperwork and phone calls that needed to be done while the shop was basically empty.

He submerged himself into his paperwork, looking up every couple of minutes and checking the surveillance camera footage to make sure everything in the shop was going okay. The last time he checked, Jo was bent over the engine, fiddling with a hose.

The guy was starting to seem harmless so he told himself to relax. Jo was a tough girl and could take care of herself. She’s been in plenty of bar fights before and come out on top, so she would be fine.

Dean poured all of his concentration into their budget for the month and adding numbers. Suddenly he got this feeling that something was wrong. He looked up from his desk and looked around his office, trying to figure out why he was having that feeling all of a sudden.

He leaned back in his chair and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He sent a quick text to Cas and Sam, asking what was up, trying to nonchalantly see if anything was going on with them.

They both responded normally, talking about their days, so he figured everything was okay with both of them. Then he remembered the frat boy out in the garage. He looked up at the surveillance camera and almost tipped his chair over as he watched the guy press a rag against Jo’s mouth as she fought against him, eyes frantically looking at the office door and the direction of the camera, trying to get his attention.

“Shit!” He grabbed his phone and called the cops.

“Hello, this is the 911 operator. What seems to be the emergency?”

“My name’s Dean Winchester and there’s a guy at my shop, Singer & Son Mechanics. You need to send cops right away because he’s trying to hurt or kill or kidnap one of my employees!” He hung up the phone before she could respond and ran out of the office.

He burst through the door, causing both of them to look over at him. Jo’s eyes were sluggish and her body was starting to give out on her. He saw a flash of relief flash through her eyes before they closed. The guy was alarmed at the intrusion, but quickly picked her up and moved to put her into his car.

He didn’t make it very far, however, when Dean tackled him to the ground.

“Like hell you are going _anywhere_ with her!”

The guy rolled over so that he was on top of Dean and started throwing punches. He was able to block a couple, but some landed. He could already feel blood running from his nose as he had heard it snap and his lip swelling.

He shifted his weight and rolled them over, getting the advantage. He landed quite a few blows himself before he heard Charlie running into the garage, yelling that she was going to call the cops.

He threw a couple more punches after she left before the guy who had attacked Jo slipped into unconsciousness. He rolled off of him and ran over to Jo’s side, pulling her into his lap.

He heard the sirens getting closer as he held her and tried to wake her up.

“Come on, Jo, don’t do this to me. You have to wake up, okay? Jo! Come on!”

Dean had checked her pulse and had found it was weak. He started to rock them gently back and forth subconsciously as he was unsure what to do.

It was his fault and he knew it. He’d told himself that she would be fine. She was a strong, capable woman who could take care of herself and she didn’t need him staring at a camera monitor making sure she was okay.

And because he hadn’t been paying attention, because he had underestimated the guy, she was unconscious and possibly dying in his arms. Jo was his best friend and he’d let her down.

“Jo, come on…please, Jo, I’m beggin’ you here.”

He heard Charlie come back into the room cautiously. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her freeze and take in the sight in front of her: the frat guy bloody and unconscious on the floor and Dean, also bloody, holding an unconscious Jo, pleading with her to wake up.

“I know I don’t say it enough, Jo, but you’re my best friend and I love you, so you have to wake up. You have to kick my ass for not looking out for you. I let you down, and you have to kick my ass for it, you hear me? Come on, Jo…”

Suddenly, Dean and Jo were surrounded by cops and EMTs. They had finally arrived and were trying to figure out what had happened. Dean couldn’t take his eyes off of Jo, trying to make sure she got the help she needed and that she was okay. Charlie took charge of the legal matter and directed the cops into the office where she showed them the surveillance footage, showing them everything they needed to know from the time the frat boy pulled his car into the garage until they showed up.

Dean stayed by Jo’s side as they loaded her onto the gurney and rolled her towards the ambulance. He refused to leave her side. Right as they were about to get into the ambulance, he spotted Bobby, Ash, Adam, and Cas running over to them.

Before they could say anything, he directed his attention to Bobby. “Bobby, I’m going with Jo. I need you to call Ellen for me. Can you handle everything here?”

He nodded, taking in the sight of both Dean and Jo. Cas stepped towards Dean and placed his hand on Dean’s arm. “Dean, are you okay?”

His brow furrowed. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? It’s Jo you have to worry about.”

“Dean…you’re bleeding. A lot.”

He’d completely forgotten about his own injuries as he’d been too focused on Jo. “Oh. Right. I’m fine. I’m going with Jo to the hospital.”

Cas nodded, “I’ll be right behind you.”

He was about to object that it wasn’t necessary, but Cas was already moving away towards his car and out of earshot. He locked eyes with Bobby and nodded before he climbed into the back of the ambulance.

The whole way there one of the EMT’s tried to help him, but he kept insisting that they concentrate on Jo. He didn’t want to divert any attention away from Jo as she was the one who really needed it.

Once they got to the hospital and wheeled Jo into a private room to be taken care of, he finally let them take a look at his own injuries. As they were leading him towards his own private room, he turned towards the receptionist. “There’s a man on his way here. His name is Castiel Novak. He’s with me, so please send him back.”

The woman nodded, understanding that he would need someone back there with him and granted his request.

The nurse lead Dean through the emergency room doors and into a room where she sat him on one of the beds. She inspected his nose and frowned.

“Well, it looks like your nose is definitely broken. We’re going to have to set it. I’ll go get a doctor and we’ll get it set for you in no time.”

He nodded, already knowing the procedure. He’d had his nose broken before when he and Sam had been wrestling as kids. That’s why his nose was the slightest bit crooked, it’d never healed properly.

There was still a fair amount of blood still draining from his nose, making him a little lightheaded. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned forward just the slightest, resting on his palms.

He didn’t hear the door open or the footsteps. He didn’t realize anyone had come into the room until the bed shifted and an arm wrapped itself around his waist.

He looked up into the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen and was thankful for the interruption from his thoughts.

“Cas…” he breathed.

He didn’t wait for a response as he rested his head on Cas’s shoulder and tried to relax into the feel of his boyfriend.

“Dean, what happened?”

He shook his head slightly but stopped when a wave of nausea sliced through his body. “I sent Bobby, Ash, and Adam off to lunch. They were gonna bring us back something to eat. Some…frat boy came in saying he was having car trouble and requested Jo take a look. He pulled his car into the garage and I went into the office to catch up on some work. For a while, I was keeping an eye on them on the camera but I underestimated the guy. I didn’t think he’d cause any trouble. I let Jo down and it might have just gotten her killed. I let her down, Cas. He attacked her and by the time I looked up at the camera and saw it, it was too late. I called 911 and rushed out there but she was already passing out. He tried to get her into the car, but I tackled him to the ground. He got in a few lucky shots before I could shift my weight and gain the advantage. I knocked him out and then went to check on Jo. Her pulse was getting weaker and weaker. If she dies, Cas…”

He let the thought die as he couldn’t bring himself to think of what would happen if she didn’t make it through this.

“She’s not going to die, Dean. You saved her from that man and you got her help. She’s going to be okay.”

He shook his head again. He couldn’t believe it until he knew that she would be okay, until the doctors told him she’d be okay, until he saw for his own eyes.

They sat there for a moment in silence before Dean thought of something. “Hey, Cas. Why were you at the shop?”

“I do not know, Dean. I had this intense feeling that you were experiencing pain and anxiety and knew that I needed to get to you. I am glad I did.”

Dean lifted his head and looked deep into Cas’s eyes. “So, what you’re saying is that when I realized that Jo was in trouble and started to react and then when I was fighting that guy…you could feel that?”

Cas nodded, “Yes, I do not know how, but I could. I was on the phone with Gabriel while I was experiencing it, so I am sure I may have worried him. I called him back while I was on my way here and told him what had happened. He said he and Sam would be here shortly.”

Dean nodded absently, trying to figure out what was going on between himself and Cas. Before he could get anywhere with the thought, the door opened and the doctor walked in followed by the nurse from before.

Cas stood and took a step away to give the doctor some space as he ran his fingers along the sides of Dean’s nose.

“My name’s Dr. Rodriguez. I’ve been informed of the situation and what happened. As soon as I set your nose and give you a pain medication prescription, I’ll let you get out of here and off to see your friend. She’ll be moved to a private room in the next half an hour and a nurse will be able to fill you in on all of the details. Are you ready?”

Before Dean could say anything, the doctor popped his nose back into place. He closed his eyes against the pain, steadying himself.

“Okay, Mr. Winchester, it’s back in its proper place. Here’s a prescription for some pain medication that I suggest you use. Also, I do not recommend driving while using it, so be sure to have someone drive you wherever you need to go while you’re using the medication. If there is anything else I can do for you, please contact me at this number. Have a nice day.”

He handed Dean a business card and left the room, the nurse trailing behind him. Dean watched him leave. “Well, that was rude.”

“Indeed.”

Dean looked over at Cas, but before he could say anything, Cas was by his side and helping him to stand. He wasn’t going to admit that he was in any pain, but he leaned some of weight against Cas as they left the room in search of a nurse.

**SPN**

One hour later, they were gathered in Jo’s room. Dean was by her bed, keeping an eye on her. Ellen had stepped out to get some coffee and talk to a doctor. Gabe and Sam had left as Gabe had to take a shift at the Roadhouse and Sam went to grab some things for Dean, knowing he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

The doctors had told them that she had been chloroformed. It’d been a high dosage, but she was going to be okay. They’d almost lost her on the way to the hospital, but they had stabilized her condition since and she would be just fine.

Cas stayed by Dean’s side the entire time. He knew how much Dean needed him and wasn’t about to leave his boyfriend alone.

Pretty shortly after they’d settled into Jo’s room, all of the day’s events hit Cas pretty hard. His eyelids were starting to droop, but he forced them to stay open.

Dean looked over and smiled softly at the sight of Cas fighting to stay awake. “Babe, why don’t you go home and get some sleep. I’ll be fine here for a while. Ellen will be back soon.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m not leaving you, Dean.”

Dean chuckled, admiring the man’s stubbornness. “Fine, at least go lay down on the couch over there and get some shut eye. That way you won’t be leaving me, I can wake you if anything happens, and you can get some much needed sleep.”

Cas seemed to think it over for a while before finally relenting and moving to the couch where he plopped down and quickly shut his eyes.

Dean watched his angel sleep for a few minutes, listening to his soft snores before he heard the door open and he turned to see who had walked in. Sam was standing in the doorway holding a bag full of stuff and Dean’s guitar case.

“Thought I’d bring some stuff by for you since I know you won’t be leaving for a while. Some fresh clothes since you’re still wearing some caked with blood, your toothbrush, stuff like that.” He set down the bag near Dean and smiled softly at his brother, taking in the sight of his bloody clothes, swollen lip, black eye, and bandaged, bruised, and swollen nose.

“Thanks, Sammy. I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Dean. Anything I can do to help, you just let me know. I have to get going, but when she wakes up you better call me.”

“I will. I’ll activate the phone tree, Samsquatch.”

Sam rolled his eyes as he made his way to the door. “Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

Both men chuckled softly as Sam left Dean in silence. He stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked into the bathroom. He pulled out a fresh set of clothes and began peeling off his blood crusted ones. He dropped them to the floor, scrubbed off the remaining patches of blood with soap and water and changed into fresh, dry, soft clothes. He scrubbed the parts of his face that didn’t hurt, brushed his teeth, careful of his swollen lip, and ran his hands through his hair a couple of times.

He looked at his reflection. He took in the cuts and bruises. Before he could think too deeply on the matter, he shoved away from the sink and left the bathroom, leaving his blood encrusted clothes in a pile in a corner of the bathroom.

He sat down in his chair in between the bed and the couch and looked around the room. He spotted his guitar case sitting by the bed.

He opened the case and pulled out his guitar. His mom had given it to him when he was a kid and taught him how to play. He ran his fingers down the base of the guitar as he remembered all those summers ago when he and his mom would sit at the kitchen table and write song after song together.

She would sing the melody as he would back her up and play softly. She’d taught him how to sing and then taught him how to escape into the world of his music when life just got too hard to bare at the moment.

He started to strum a few chords from a song he hadn’t heard in years. It was a song his mother wrote one day, the first song she’d written and sung to him. He remembered it perfectly: every note, every chord, every verse. As he had learned to play, they would sing it together. When life got too hard, she would sing it to him whether he wanted to hear it or not. If she couldn’t sing it, she would hum it or even just write down some of the lyrics and slip them to him somehow.

He was careful to play softly as Jo wasn’t awake yet and Cas had drifted into sleep.

The melody came easy for him and soon he began to sing softly while he played.

_Tell me where'd the day go_   
_I'm lying wide awake wondering_   
_How it escaped, the sun gone away_   
  
_Lately there's a part of me_   
_Thinking soon enough_   
_I'll be ten more years old_   
_The next thing I know_   
  
_Well, I'm not about to let that happen_   
_Call me drastic and old fashioned_   
  
_I think it's time that we take_   
_A drive down the scenic route_   
_Baby, sitting round here, talking 'bout it_   
_Well, it doesn't count_   
  
_Can we slow down_   
_And just take our time?_   
_Close our eyes_   
_And just enjoy the ride_   
  
_I remember last year I told myself_   
_I'd take every picture and chance_   
_Like each day was my last_   
  
_Well, it's easy saying things like that_   
_But life has got a way_   
_Of distracting your dreams_   
_And handing you worries_   
  
_I'm not about to let that happen_   
_Call me drastic and old fashioned_   
  
_I think it's time that we set our sights_   
_On the here and now_   
_Baby, sitting round here, talking 'bout it_   
_Well, it doesn't count_   
  
_Can we slow down_   
_And just take our time?_   
_Close our eyes_   
_And just enjoy the ride_   
_Just enjoy the ride_   
  
_Well, I think it's time that we take_   
_A drive down the scenic route_   
_Baby, sitting round here, talking 'bout it_   
_Well, it doesn't count_   
  
_Can we slow down_   
_And just take our time?_   
_We slow down_   
_And just take our time_   
_We just enjoy the ride_   
  
_Just enjoy the ride_   
_We just enjoy the ride_   
_Just enjoy the ride_   
_We just enjoy the ride_

He hit the last chord and let it play before the room was engulfed by silence once more. He looked down at his guitar, memories of his mom running through his mind.

He missed her a lot. He decided he needed to take a trip back home real soon and go see her. Maybe they could even sing a few songs together like old times.

“That was beautiful, Dean.”

His head whipped up and he turned to see Cas looking at him admiringly.

“Cas! I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Cas smiled softly as he sat up and leaned towards Dean, placing his hand on Dean’s arm. “You didn’t wake me up. I woke up before you started playing. I didn’t know you could play. Or sing.”

A whisper of a smile appeared on Dean’s face before it was gone. He looked down at his guitar again. “Yeah, my mom taught me when I was a kid. We’d sit in the kitchen for hours just writing songs and singing them together. She taught me how to play and how to sing. She also taught me how to play the piano, but I’m a bit rusty on that one. She tried to teach Sammy, but…he was always more focused on books and school than music.”

Cas nodded, already knowing that Sam had always been a bookworm. “What about that song? What was it?”

The smile appeared back on Dean’s face and stayed there. He looked up from the guitar and stared distantly across the room, not really seeing anything.

“That was the first song my mom wrote. I was six when she wrote it. Things were hard around the house back then. My dad was drinking pretty heavily and they were always fighting. It was before she started going away on business trips and before the beatings. She would sit at the table every night and work on it until she was satisfied with it. She’d always wait until everyone had gone to bed before she’d get out her guitar. One night she caught me listening. I’d fallen asleep around the corner from the kitchen as she had played it. She woke me up and took me to bed. The next night, after Sammy went to sleep, she brought me out into the kitchen, sat me down on one of the chairs, and sang it to me. When she was done, I asked her to teach me how to play and she did. That’s what we did for weeks after that. Whenever both of us were home and after my homework was done, we would sit down at the table and she would teach me how to play. A couple of years later, we started writing songs together. First, she would write them and I would play them, but then I started writing too. That’s how I made it through a lot of shit in my life. Besides meeting a certain scruffy-haired boy in my dreams, that is.”

He looked up at Cas and winked at him. Cas blushed, but stayed silent.

“When life got too hard to handle, I would lock myself in my room, pull out my guitar, and just play. I’d get so lost in my music that hours would go by without even realizing it. Whenever my mom knew something bad had happened or knew I was upset about something, she would sing that song to me. Sometimes I would even find some of the lyrics on sticky notes around my room when I woke up. It’s been kind of like a secret motto between my mom and I. Just enjoy the ride that life takes you on.”

Cas leaned closer to Dean and pressed his lips to Dean’s. When he pulled back, he looked deep into Dean’s eyes. “Can you play another one for me?”

Dean blushed but his smile widened. “What do you wanna hear, angel?”

“Anything. You choose. Something you wrote.”

Dean wracked his brain for a minute before coming up with the perfect song to sing. He looked down at his guitar and positioned his fingers just right before he began to play.

He looked up at Cas as the melody started to flow around them. He stared deep into the bright, ocean blue eyes that were winning over his heart as he poured his heart and soul into the song.

_You dry my eyes with your long sleeve_   
_Your sweatshirt's way too big on me, but it's perfect_

_Mm, mm._

  
_You hate my taste in DVDs_   
_When I let you drive the red GT I get nervous_

_Yeeah yeah._   
  
_But layin' in your arms is like the first snow_   
_Delicate yet takes my breath away, oh_   
  
_Say you're forever_   
_Say that your heart's gonna stay_   
_Ye-ea-ea-ah._   
  
_You're stubborn and I'm worse you know_   
_But your smile is like that country road in Virginia_

_Mm, mm._

  
_And you know you never let me win_   
_In Nintendo and that's bullshit in my opinion,_

_mm yeah_   
  
_But you can spin my bad days into pure gold_   
_With just a touch of your hand on my waist_

_Hey.._   
  
_Say you're forever_   
_Say that your heart's gonna stay_   
_Yea-ea-ea-ah_   
  
_'Cause you, you're who I love_   
_And ooh, this is enough for always_   
  
_You asked to dance and I got shy_   
_You said honey there's no time for excuses_

_Mm, mm._

  
_Barefoot on Hermosa Beach_   
_Oh we just let that ocean breeze be the music, yea-eah_   
  
_'Cause you're the only thing worth coming home to_   
_It's how I wanna end all of my days_   
  
_Say you're forever_   
_Say that your heart's gonna stay_

_Yea-ea-ea-eah_   
  
_You, you're who I love_   
_And ooh, this is enough for always_   
  
_You're the reason_   
_This singing heart is beating_   
_Love, it's easy now._   
_Summer evenings_   
_Oh keep me like a secret_   
_I won't let you down._   
  
_You, you're who I love_   
_And ooh, this is enough for always_

He played the last few chords, never breaking eye contact. As the last note played through the air, the two men started to slowly lean towards each other until their lips were touching.

It was a light kiss, but it had meaning. In the kiss, Cas told Dean exactly how he felt about the song and Dean told Cas that he understood and felt the same way.

Once they broke away from each other and returned to staring into each other’s eyes, they both had smiles spread across their faces.

Before either one could say anything, they heard a soft cough coming from behind Dean and they both turned.

Jo had her eyes open and was looking at them expectantly.

“So, I almost die and you two are singing to each other and making out at my death bed? Huh, I thought there would be more tears.”

Dean snorted and rolled his eyes, placing his guitar back into its case and turning his full attention back on Jo.

“I’ll have you know, Josephina, that you missed all the dramatic stuff that you would just eat up. Oh, and if you ever do that to me again, I will personally kill you. With my bare hands.”

Jo rolled her eyes before settling deeper into her pillows.

“Well, that’s what you get for not watching the damn cameras.”

She saw a flash of something flash threw Dean’s eyes before it was gone as fast as it had appeared. She immediately regretted saying it because she knew that Dean must be beating himself up for not paying attention.

Then she noticed his appearance she sat up straighter. “Wait a minute, the last time I saw you, you didn’t look like you’d been through a bar brawl.”

Dean chuckled darkly. “Yeah, well, that’s what happens when some frat boy tries to drug and kidnap my best friend under my watch and on my property.”

He pulled out his phone and stood up. “I’m going to give Sam a call and let him know you’re awake. I promised him I would. And I’ll go find Ellen. I think she went down to the cafeteria for some coffee.”

He left the room before anyone could say anything, leaving the room in silence as Cas and Jo watched him leave. Jo turned to Cas worried.

“How bad is he?”

He turned his attention to her and sighed. “When he got there, he beat the guy until he was unconscious. He got a broken nose, a swollen lip, and a black eye, but most of the damage is inward. He blames himself for not paying more attention. He said he let you down by underestimating the guy.”

Jo nodding, already knowing that he blamed himself. That was Dean.

“Well, he needs to knock it off because there was no way it was his fault. If he hadn’t gotten there when he did, I’d probably be in the guy’s trunk or something. You need to help him, Cas. He’s not going to listen to me, I can guarantee you that. He won’t listen to me, but he’ll listen to you. Just…talk to him.”

Cas nodded and stood, making his way out of the room and to go find Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BY THE WAY!!!
> 
> The songs that are in this chapter are sung by Kate Voegle. The first one is Enjoy the Ride and the second one is Enough for Always. They are really good songs and I advise you to look them up so you can hear how they are sung. It may help with the chapter.


	9. Soul Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when two people show up at Dean's door and let him and Cas in on something they've been dying to know? Will they found out why they came to each other in their dreams? Or about how Cas was able to feel Dean's emotions when he was fighting for Jo's life? Read and find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo sorry for the delay in updating this chapter. This is quite a long chapter and it took a while to plan and write out. I know pretty much exactly what will be happening for the next couple of chapters at least, so I'm hoping they will be up sooner rather than later. Keep in mind, I also have other stories to write for as well, so...please be patient with me. I am very, very sorry. I hope you like this chapter!
> 
> Oh, and be prepared....This chapter contains A LOT of information and background into everything. 2 characters will be introduced in this chapter as well as...some information that will make everything make sense! 
> 
> There are A LOT of feels in the last third of the story, so....you better hold onto your seat and possibly break out the tissues. Good luck!

**Chapter 9**

When Cas finally found Dean, he was just finishing up a call with Sam. Dean had already found Ellen and had informed her that Jo was awake.

Dean was sitting on a bench outside where no one else was around. As Cas walked up, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked up as Cas sat down next to him.

“It is beautiful out here.”

Dean looked around at the little garden and walk areas the hospital had set up for recovering patients so they could get some fresh air. “Yeah, it is. I found this place the last time I was here when Sam had gotten into a bar fight and was admitted for a couple of days.”

Cas nodded as he entwined his fingers in Dean’s. “You know, it is not your fault, Dean.”

Dean sighed inwardly, knowing this was coming. “I should have been paying more attention. I had a bad feeling about him from the moment he walked in.”

“You stopped him from kidnapping her. Isn’t that worth something?”

Cas’s response was met by silence. Dean couldn’t come up with anything to beat that because it _was_ worth something. He’d stopped the bastard from shoving her in his trunk and taking off, but she’d still gotten hurt.

“Dean, you can’t protect everyone from harm all the time. That’s not your responsibility. Sometimes things happen for a reason.”

Dean snorted, “You really believe that? That things happen for a reason?”

“Yes, I do. When we were children, we met through our dreams. There was a reason behind that, if you remember correctly. And again later in our adult lives when things got bad. You see, there are times when things happen for a reason.”

Dean turned and looked directly into Cas’s eyes. His wall of self-hatred was starting to crumble, but it wasn’t quite there yet. It still needed a hard shove.

“And what was the reason behind Jo almost dying and getting kidnapped?”

Cas took a moment to get his words in order. He knew how close to breaking Dean was and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

“I do not know, Dean. Maybe it was to give you a lesson. Make you see that even though bad things happen, good things can come out of them. Jo is still alive, and she’s awake now. She’s going to be okay. Or maybe it was to teach you to stop beating yourself up for things that are out of your control. You do that a lot as I have heard. Maybe it was to teach Jo to be more careful, or for the guy who attacked her to get his life straightened out. There could be many different reasons why it happened. There is no way to know for sure, but I do know that it is not your fault. Jo knows that as well. As does everyone else who knows about what happened. You saved her life, Dean. You should concentrate on that aspect of it. Look on the bright side, as Gabriel would say.”

Dean chuckled softly, looking away from Cas and thinking over everything his blue-eyed angel had just said.

Cas had been the shove his wall needed to crumble. A small part of him would still blame himself, but that was just who he was. There was no changing that part of him in one conversation and Cas accepted that.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

Dean looked back at Cas and smiled softly. “Okay.”

A smile stretched on Cas’s face and he leaned over and pressed his lips softly to Dean’s. He pulled back and looked at his boyfriend. “Okay.”

**SPN**

Tuesday night found Dean and Cas back at Dean’s apartment. Jo had just been released from the hospital, so they had gone home. Sam had been staying over at Gabe’s since their brothers weren’t around much. They had both spent most of their downtime at the hospital. If they weren’t at work or running home to take a quick shower and change, they were with Jo.

Dean plopped down on the couch and picked up a pile of mail that had accumulated on the table since he’d been gone. He sorted through the bills and junk mail as Cas made himself comfortable next to him. Once the piles were sorted, Dean leaned back and put his arm on the back of the couch behind Cas’s head.

“So, Cas, what do you wanna do? I’m up for just about anything that doesn’t involve leaving.”

Cas smiled as he looked around the apartment. He spotted something and his smile grew. “Anything?”

Dean became a bit suspicious, but took the bait. “Yeah…What are you thinking?”

Cas turned his full attention on Dean and gave him the best puppy dog eyes he could. “Would you sing me another song, Dean?”

Dean tried to resist the puppy dog eyes, but that only lasted about ten seconds before he gave in and stood up to grab his guitar.

“That’s, like, an evil power or something. That look is powerful.”

Cas chuckled as Dean sat back down with the guitar case and took it carefully out of the case, put the strap over his head and strummed a couple of test chords to make sure it was still in tune.

“Okay. What do you wanna hear?”

“You decide. Something you or your mom wrote. They’re beautiful songs.”

Dean blushed slightly at the compliment and tried to think of a song one of them had written that he hadn’t sung for Cas. It only took a moment before he came up with a good one to sing.

“I wrote this yesterday while you were in class. Jo had fallen asleep, Ellen had gone back to the Roadhouse, so I just pulled out my guitar and started to write. I was planning on working on it a bit more before letting you hear it though.”

Cas’s eyes lit up as he got excited to hear the song. The look on his boyfriend’s face made Dean’s heart melt and he poured himself into the song.

_I'm going home_   
_Downhearted and hoping_   
_I'm close to some new beginning_   
_I know_   
_There's a reason for everything_   
_That comes and goes_   
  
_But so many people are looking to me_   
_To be strong and to fight_   
_But I'm just surviving_   
_I may be weak but I'm never defeated_   
_And I'll keep believing_   
_In clouds with that sweet silver lining_   
  
_Most days_   
_I try my best to put on a brave face_   
_But inside_   
_My bones are cold and my heart breaks_   
_But all the while_   
_Something is keeping me safe_   
_And alive_   
  
_But so many people are looking to me_   
_To be strong and to fight_   
_But I'm just surviving_   
_I may be weak but I'm never defeated_   
_And I'll keep believing_   
_In clouds with that sweet silver lining_   
  
_I wont give up like this_   
_I will be given strength_   
_And now that I've found it_   
_Nothing can take that away_   
  
_But so many people are looking to me_   
_To be strong and to fight_   
_But I'm just surviving_   
_I may be weak but I'm never defeated_   
_And I'll keep believing_   
  
_But so many people are looking to me_   
_To be strong and to fight_   
_But I'm just surviving_   
_I may be weak but I'm never defeated_   
_And I'll keep believing_   
_In clouds with that sweet silver lining_

Before Cas could say anything, Dean set down the guitar and looked Cas in the eyes. “You told me there’s a reason for everything. It took me some time to sort through it, but…I get it. I get that I shouldn’t blame myself for what happened. That doesn’t mean I’m just going to let it go, but…I understand. And…I’ll work on it.”

Cas smiled at his boyfriend proudly. He placed a hand on Dean’s and looked into his eyes, making sure not to break eye contact so Dean understood how serious he was.

“That’s all that matters, Dean. As long as you understand. You have a lot of people who love you, Dean. Many people care deeply for you and would do just about anything for you. You are very lucky to have so many people like that in your life. I am very lucky to be one of those people.”

A smile slowly spread across Dean’s face and his eyes lit up. “I’m not the only one who has a lot of people who care about them, Cas. You do too, you just don’t realize it. Hell, even Bobby is on your side. And don’t forget about me.”

“Who could ever forget about you, Dean?”

The smile on Dean’s face got wider as he leaned closer to Cas. “No one in their right mind, that’s who.”

Cas rolled his eyes before Dean’s lips pressed against his. The kiss started out long and slow until things started to heat up.

Dean gently pushed Cas backwards on the couch until he was laying on top of him, never parting lips. Hands started to roam and the kisses got a little sloppier. Dean moved his mouth and started trailing hot kisses down the side of Cas’s neck, making little noises escape from Cas’s throat. He was just getting started when a knock came from the door, breaking the two men from the spell they had worked over each other.

Dean looked towards the door confused. “Who in the hell would be knocking? Everyone I know would just walk in.”

“Well, it is a good thing whomever it is knocked. Otherwise, we may have been faced in an awkward situation.”

Dean glanced down at their crotches. They had been rubbing together and had gotten quite hard in the process. “Yeah, I see your point.”

He placed a quick peck on Cas’s lips before standing up, righting his shirt, and walking over to answer the door as Cas sat up and fixed his own shirt. He opened the door and found a tall woman with dark hair wearing a tank top and jeans standing with a shorter woman who looked like she could be somebody’s mother. A very stern, but caring mother.

“Can I help you?”

The shorter woman smiled at him and was the one to respond, “Yes, Dean, you could let us in. We need to talk.”

Dean’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Um…who are you? How do you know my name?”

“I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. We met when you were a child and your momma brought you to see me. My name is Missouri and this is my friend Pamela. Is your friend Castiel here as well? This pertains to him also.”

Before Dean could say anything, Cas was behind him. “How do you know who I am? We have never met before.”

“No, son, we haven’t met personally, but I’ve heard a lot about you. And I believe you met my friend here.”

Pamela smiled at Cas. “Your father brought you to see me when you were little. It’d probably be better to discuss all of this in private instead of in the middle of the hallway where anyone could hear?”

Cas looked up at Dean and nodded slightly, telling him that he thought Dean should let them in and hear what they had to say.

Dean stepped back and opened the door wider. Once the two women had walked through the door, he shut the door behind them.

“Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?”

They both declined and sat in the chairs by the couch rather than next to each other. Dean found it odd, but didn’t complain since that meant he could sit next to Cas. As everyone got comfortable, Dean couldn’t handle it anymore.

“Okay, so what is it we need to discuss?”

Missouri narrowed her eyes at him. “Watch your tone with me, boy. We could just as easily get up and leave you boys in the dark to figure out why you two met in your dreams when you were little.”

Dean and Cas’s eyes widened simultaneously. Dean looked at Cas, confused. “I haven’t told anyone about that.”

Cas nodded, “Neither have I. I haven’t even told Gabriel.”

Pamela leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together. “Actually, when the two of you were children and first started having the dreams you told one of your parents. Cas, after your mom died, you started having the dreams in order to cope with her loss. You told your father and he got worried so he brought you to me. He only brought you once though and I never heard from him again. I kept tabs on the two of you and found out that shortly after that visit, he started to drink heavily.”

Cas thought back to all those years ago when he’d first had the dreams. He couldn’t exactly remember the face, but he remembered his father taking him somewhere.

Missouri looked at Dean. “And you. Your momma brought you to me after she’d convinced your daddy to go to rehab. You’d said something about a little boy from your dreams and it made her curious. After you two left my house that day, I called Pamela and confirmed my suspicions. We agreed to keep it to ourselves until the two of you met. We knew you would, it was only a matter of time. Fate is funny that way, I suppose. We’ve been keeping tabs on the two of you, waiting for the right moment. Once we’d found out the two of you had finally met, we got things settled back home and came to see you boys in person.”

Dean tried to wrap his mind around everything. It was all happening so fast and there was a lot of information to process. “So, you two are from our hometowns and you’re…what? Dream readers?”

Missouri rolled her eyes, “Don’t be stupid, boy. There’s no such thing as a dream reader. We’re psychics.”

Dean snorted, “Yeah, and we’re supposed to believe that you two read our minds or something when we were kids and came up with this reason why we met in our dreams?”

Missouri narrowed her eyes, “I said watch your tone, boy. We didn’t read your minds, ya idiot. We were both taught legends about things like this happening. About being able to connect to someone in your dreams, but we always thought it was a myth. Now, do you wanna know why you can help each other in your dreams? Or how about being able to feel intense emotions the other person is feeling and knowing you need to be there? That something is wrong?”

Cas turned to Dean. “Dean, that’s what happened the other day. We need to hear them out. We need to find out why.”

Dean stared into Cas’s eyes for a few moments, thinking it over. A part of him was skeptical about the pair of them, not sure if he should trust what they say, but another part of him was telling him that they knew the truth.

He nodded, “Okay. Let’s hear it.”

Pamela looked at Missouri. “I suggest you start from the beginning. It may make more sense.”

Missouri nodded before collecting her thoughts and starting in on the explanation.

“Do you boys believe in Angels?” Dean and Cas looked at each other, confused.

“Angels?”

She nodded, “Yes, angels. The warriors of God. Believe it or not, they’re real. Now, I’m going to tell you a story and I’m going to expect you two not to interrupt until I’m done, you hear?”

Dean and Cas both nodded, anxious to hear her story.

“Okay. It started thousands of years ago when God first created the angels. There were many, many angels, but there was one garrison that didn’t quite work together too well. There was Michael, the leader; Lucifer, the rebellious one; Anna, the quiet, but brave one; Balthazar, the sarcastic one; Gabriel, the prankster; and Castiel, the loyal one.”

Cas’s eyes widened and he wanted to say something, but he bit his tongue to keep from interrupting her. He had a feeling that stopping her in the middle of her story would not end well.

“They worked together for thousands of years doing whatever God asked of them. They knew the script He’d written and how everything was to be played out, but one day the angel Castiel started to question it. He started to ask his brother Gabriel questions, wondering why God did some of the things he did. He wanted to know why the humans inhabiting Earth couldn’t have free will. He wanted to know why the angels couldn’t have free will. One day he asked God himself about it. He wanted the answers to his questions. God told him that he was setting everything up for his departure, that he wanted the humans he’d created to be safe. He was going to be leaving Heaven, but wouldn’t tell him where he was going. God looked at Castiel and told him that He had another plan for him. He was to Fall to Earth and be reborn into a family. God knew that Castiel wanted free will, and that was his way of giving it to him because he knew that one day the script would be broken and everyone would have the free will they deserved, even the angels. God had told Gabriel to Fall a few Earth years before Castiel came to him, but Heaven isn’t measured in time, so Castiel hadn’t noticed.”

Cas started to piece things together as flashes of memories started to whip through his mind. He was starting to remember things he didn’t think were possible. There had been a war in Heaven and it had caused the angel to question the script. Cas remembered now.

“So the angel Castiel Fell to Earth and was reborn into a family. His memories were suppressed, but not erased. God left the angel with a small amount of his grace intact, knowing that he would need it one day. And then one day he did need it. One day his human mother died, leaving him with the second youngest brother and a father on the edge of breaking. The fallen angel’s grace activated and connected with the strongest soul it could find. It connected with a boy who, even though he was dealing with a drunken father and had to protect his little brother, his soul was still strong, the strongest the angel had ever seen. Their souls connected and intertwined with each other, creating a bond. When both of the boys entered their dreams, where the soul is most vulnerable, they were able to appear to each other, help each other. The bond was created to help both souls when in life threatening situations. That’s how both boys were able to survive their drunken fathers’ abuse. How both boys survived abusive boyfriends and near fatal car accidents. And then one day they met in person and have been inseparable ever since.”

Dean was frozen. He had no idea what to think. The story added up. Well, the ending did, but…angels? God? Falling to Earth and being reborn into a family?

He looked over at Cas expecting to see the same confusion written on his face, but found realization and understanding. That only added to his confusion.

“Cas?”

Cas turned to Dean, excitement and understanding in his eyes. “Dean, what she said is true. I remember it now. I remember the garrison, the script, even God. There was a war in Heaven. The angels were fighting each other. That’s why I began to question the script. I couldn’t help but wonder why our Father would want a war in Heaven. Why he would make us fight our brothers and sisters. Everything she said…I remember it. Dean, that’s why we connected. That’s how we could help each other before we even met. I’m…an angel of the Lord.”

Dean couldn’t think of anything to say. That was way too much information, not to mention he hadn’t even believed in God or angels before. His mother had always told him that angels were watching over him when she tucked him in, but he’d always thought that was just something mothers said to their kids.

He looked at Missouri and Pamela with a question in his eyes. They both nodded, understanding his confusion.

He looked back at Cas, still seeing the excitement in his eyes. Cas knew who he was now. He’d always felt like something was missing or that he should know something he didn’t, but he could never grasp it. Now he did. He knew what he was, who he was, why he could connect with Dean and it thrilled him. He finally understood.

“So…you’re an angel. An angel who was sent to Earth to be reborn into a family. Your mom died and your grace activated. It connected with me when I was protecting Sammy. And that’s how we were able to see each other in our dreams.”

Cas nodded, waiting patiently for everything to sink in for Dean, knowing it was a lot of information to take in at one time.

“Wow.” Dean turned away, not looking at anyone. He was still working on processing everything, which was giving him a headache.

For several long moments, the room was silent. They didn’t want to rush Dean through it, so they took their time. It was a lot to handle all at once.

Finally, he looked up at Missouri. “Why now though? I mean, Cas and I met a week ago. Why wait that long to come and tell us this?”

“We also have a warning. Have you heard of an angel called-?”

The front door opened, cutting Missouri off mid-sentence. They all turned to see who it was, worried it’d be Sam walking into a conversation he knew nothing about.

“Gabriel? What are you doing here?”

Gabe smiled. “Ah, little brother. I could ask the same thing, but I’m pretty sure I already know.”

He winked at Cas before turning to Missouri and Pamela. “I see you gals don’t waste any time. I was hoping to be there for the big unleashing.”

Cas’s brow furrowed. “Wait, you knew?”

Dean looked between the two brothers, but stayed silent, waiting to see what would happen.

“Of course I knew. Daddy made sure I kept all my memories. I’ve known all along.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Gabe smiled as he pulled a kit kat from somewhere, tearing open the wrapper. “What? And ruin the surprise?”

“Gabriel.”

Gabe held his hands up innocently. “Fine, fine. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Cassie. There was no point in you knowing about someone you’d never actually met before or about any of it, really. It wasn’t relevant at the time. It would have distracted you from what you were supposed to do. Anyways, good ole Daddy didn’t want you to know right away for a reason, so I left it that way.”

“Did you know it was Dean?”

Gabe threw Dean a quick smile before finishing off his candy bar. “All I knew was it was a dude with green eyes. But you’re the one who told me that.”

Cas’s brow furrowed even more. He wracked his brain for when he possibly could have mentioned it to Gabe, but couldn’t remember ever telling anyone.

“Don’t hurt yourself trying to remember when you told me. You didn’t _actually_ tell me. Well, not in so many words. When we were kids and you locked yourself away in your room, you were busy drawing, remember? When you finally let me in there, I found several pictures of a blue-eyed angel helping a green-eyed man. And the angel had the exact same shade of blue as you do, so I knew. When I met Dean-o here the first time, I suspected that it was him. His eyes are the exact same shade of green as the ones in all of those drawings. Same as the ones you did a couple of years ago or whenever that was.”

“When I had my accident.”

Everything was starting to click into place, finally. The dreams, the paintings, everything. It made sense. Well, as much as it could when it had to do with angels and God.

“Exactly! Sam told me about that, by the way. It’s a good thing you and Cassie here connected otherwise you’d probably be dead.”

Dean turned back to Cas and looked thoughtfully into his eyes. “I know.”

Missouri rose suddenly. “Well, we best be off and let you boys get everything worked out. We’ll be in touch shortly.”

Cas tilted his head to the side in confusion. “You mentioned a warning.”

“I did? Oh, well, it doesn’t matter right now. You boys get things sorted out. We’ll be in touch.”

Pamela stood and followed Missouri to the door. They let themselves out and shut the door behind them as Gabe plopped down into the chair Pamela had previously been sitting in.

“Well, now that you have your memories back, Cassie, no more secrets!”

Dean looked down at his hands. “Well, not quite.”

The two looked at Dean and waited for him to explain. He looked up at Gabriel with a serious expression on his face. “Sam still doesn’t know.”

For the first time since Dean met him, Gabe was speechless. It was obvious he cared a lot for Sam and didn’t want to hurt him or keep anything from him, so Dean pushed on.

“We need to tell him. It’s not right that he doesn’t know. And just so you know, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think, I’m telling him whether you think it’s a good idea or not.”

Cas reached out and grabbed Dean’s hand, catching his attention. “I agree with Dean. Sam needs to know.”

Gabe looked between the two men, thinking about what the repercussions of telling his boyfriend he hasn’t exactly been truthful with him this entire time would be.

“Okay, but I am _not_ taking the fall for this. I don’t want to lose my Samsquatch just because you slow pokes hadn’t joined the big boys yet. So. When do we tell him?”

“As soon as he gets home.”

**SPN**

The three men wasted the time waiting for Sam to get home from wherever it was he’d gone doing pretty much nothing. They drank some beers and watched a movie they found on the tv. Cas had cuddled up to Dean, knowing full well that as soon as Sam got home, it was game on. He wanted to get as much relaxing and calm time in with Dean as he could before things went south. He had a bad feeling about what would happen when they told him everything.

Sam walked through the door and found Dean and Cas cuddling on the couch with half gone beers and Gabriel plowing through his usual pile of sweets while staring at the tv screen. None of them had even heard the door open. They were all in their own world.

He set his keys down on the counter quietly, grabbed a beer from the kitchen, and walked up behind Gabriel. He leaned down and planted a kiss on the side of his neck, causing him to jump and let loose a shriek no one had been expecting.

The sudden noise caused Dean and Cas to jump as well. Dean almost dropped his beer as everyone was brought out of their heads and into the real world.

They turned and looked at Sam who was sporting a grin that could rival the Cheshire cat. “Man, you guys are jumpy tonight. You jumped like Dean did when I caught him watching cartoon smut one day.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not cartoon smut, Sam. It’s called anime and it’s an art form.”

Sam rolled his eyes, but his smile widened to the point where it looked like he had slept with a clothes hanger in his mouth. “Whatever you say, Dean. So, what’s up?”

“Have a seat, Samsquatch. This family meeting is hereby in session.”

“Family meeting? Who died?”

Dean rolled his eyes, but waited until Sam sat down in the open chair before he started.

“Sammy…there’s something we…I need to tell you. It’s going to be really confusing and there’s a lot to it, so just bear with me, okay?”

Sam looked hesitantly between the three men who all wore identical expressions of seriousness on their faces. Well, besides when Gabe would shove another candy bar into his mouth.

“Okay…No one’s dying though, right?”

“No one’s dying. I’m going to start at the beginning. Don’t interrupt me or no free beer for you for a month.”

Sam sat up straighter, leaning forward on his knees so he could concentrate better on what Dean was about to tell him. When Dean could tell he’d gotten Sam’s full attention, he began his story.

“Old friends of the family stopped by while you were gone today. We didn’t know, or remember, about this until then. Once we found out, we didn’t want to keep anything from you so we were waiting for you to get home. I’m going to tell you what they told me and Cas before Gabe got here. This all started back when… _God_ …created the angels. And yes, this is all true. Angels are real. And, as much as I had my doubts, so is God. There was a group of them, a team. Michael, Lucifer, Anna, Balthazar, Gabriel, and Castiel. A thousand or two years later a war started in Heaven, pitting angels against each other. The angel Castiel started to question the script. You know, _fate_. How everything is already planned out ahead of time and we’re all just a bunch of puppets along for the ride.”

Cas squeezed Dean’s hand to get him back on track. Dean took a breath before continuing.

“He asked God why there wasn’t any free will, along with some other questions like why there was a war going on. He wanted to know the answers. God told him that he was leaving and setting things up so that the humans…us…would be safe when he left. He said he had a plan for Castiel and told him to fall to Earth where he would be reborn into a family. He already had the angel Gabriel fall and be reborn. So Cas..tiel fell and was reborn. His memories were suppressed, but still there. God left him with a little bit of his grace so he could use it when he needed to. After his mom died, he activated it and…this is where it gets weird. His grace reached out and connected with another soul, the strongest one it could find. A bond was formed between them. After that, when either of them were in life threatening situations, their souls reached out to each other in their dreams, when it’s most vulnerable. It created a way for the two people to survive what they normally might have died from. Like…abuse and car accidents for example. So, after both of them became adults, they met in person one day, not realizing who the other person was. And then…oh, and did I mention that the angel Castiel is actually _Cas_ and that the angel Gabriel is actually _Gabe_? Or…that the other soul was mine?”

Sam’s brow had furrowed somewhere through the story and his lips had parted in confusion. He sat there for a moment, taking it in.

“Wait, back up. Tell me more about this connection.”

Dean wasn’t sure what he was more surprised at: how quick it sunk in for him or how quickly he accepted it.

It was Cas’s turn to explain. “When my mother died, I went into a period of mourning which activated my grace. It reached out and created a bond with the strongest soul it could find: Dean. Shortly after, we both began experiencing difficult living situations and our souls opened up to each other in our dreams since they are most vulnerable there. We were able to survive because of it. Once there was no longer a threat on either side, the dreams stopped. They didn’t start up again until years later when Jason and I were together and then again when Dean was in the car accident. It was only due to the profound bond that we had created by that point that either of us survived the more dangerous situations in our adulthood. I was the one who helped him out of that coma, so it is a good thing you would not let them ‘pull the plug’. Once we met, the bond strengthened further. When Dean was fighting the man who attacked Jo, I could feel the intense emotions he was feeling and knew that I needed to be there. That is why I was at the shop before anyone told me about it.”

It only took a couple of moments for it to sink in and once it did, Sam turned to Dean, completely serious.

“You’ve been having these dreams since we were kids and you’re _just now_ telling me about this?!”

Dean’s mouth fell open slightly. “Wait, so we tell you that we can pretty much keep each other alive through our _dreams,_ that God and the angels are _real_ , and…you get _that_ out of it..?”

“Dean, why would you hide this from me? Could you not trust me?”

Dean looked between Sam and Cas, then back to Sam. “You really think I don’t trust you? Of course I trust you! You’re my little brother.”

“Well, obviously you can’t since you’ve been having these dreams and you never told me. You’ve been having them since we were kids! How could you, Dean? We’re brothers!”

Sam stood and began pacing the floor. “And what about these ‘difficult living conditions’? You and I both know we had it good growing up. Sure, Dad was a bit harsh growing up, but we had a good childhood! I just…I don’t understand, Dean!

Dean stood as well and moved to stand in front of him, anger boiling inside of his chest.

“How would you have responded if I had told you? Hm? If I had said that my imaginary friend who visits me in my dreams saved my life when we were kids. And then again when we’re adults. You would have shipped me off to the looney bin without hesitation.”

Sam fired back, “No I wouldn’t have, Dean! I would have listened to what you had to say because that’s what brothers do.”

“Oh, really? And then what? What would you have done?”

Sam hesitated with his answer, confirming Dean’s suspicions. When he did speak, his voice started to rise as he continued to talk. “I don’t know, Dean. Okay? I don’t know! You didn’t give me the chance to figure out what I would have done, because you didn’t tell me. But why, Dean? Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been there for you through everything. I was there for you when you got rejected by that girl in the sixth grade. I was there for you when the kids in high school picked on you for being gay. I was there for you during your first bad breakup, through everything with Henrickson. I was the one who wouldn’t let them take you off life support when you were in that coma. So why the _hell_ couldn’t you trust me with this?!”

“Because!”

“Because, why? That’s not good enough and you know that.”

“Because you don’t need to know why I had to be strong! Why my soul was strong enough to connect with his! You don’t need to know why…”

He swallowed around the knot that suddenly formed in his throat. The anger in his chest began to disappear as his mind rushed back to all those years ago when he needed to be strong for his little brother.

His voice broke as he continued his sentence. “…why I had to be strong for you.”

Sam’s brow furrowed even farther than it had. “Why would you have to be strong for me?”

Dean lowered his head and closed his eyes. After a moment, Sam said his name softly, causing him to look up into his little brother’s now worried eyes.

“Dean, what happened when we were kids?”

“Wait, he doesn’t know?” Sam looked at Gabe, confused.

“So, apparently everyone knows what happened when we were kids, but I don’t?”

Gabe frowned, but looked at Dean. “You never told him?”

Dean looked at Gabe, not looking at Cas because he knew if he met his eyes, he’d lose it right there.

“He didn’t need to know. I took care of it and he was just a kid.”

Cas stood up and took a step towards Dean, but not all the way. He knew what state of mind Dean was in and didn’t want to tip him the wrong way. “But so were you, Dean. You were just a kid too.”

“Maybe, but I was older and could handle it. I didn’t want him to have to deal with it.”

Sam placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder, causing him to turn and face him. Dean tried to hide the emotions he knew must be all over his face, but it was too late. Sam had seen them.

“Dean, tell me what happened.”

Dean took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. When he opened them, he began.

“Sammy, do you remember when Dad went away for a while?”

Sam looked between Gabe and Dean for a moment before focusing on his brother again. “Yeah, I guess. He went on a business trip.”

“He didn’t go on a business trip, Sam. He was gone for six months.”

Sam took his hand back from where it had still been on Dean’s shoulder. He was getting a really bad feeling about where this was going.

“Then where did he go?”

“Mom made him go to rehab. Remember Uncle Jim?”

“All I remember was that he died.”

Dean nodded, “Yeah, he found out he had cancer, but didn’t tell anyone. He and Dad were really close and then one day he died, out of nowhere. No one had been expecting it. It hit Dad hard and he began drinking, heavily. He became an alcoholic, Sammy.”

“Okay, so what does that have to do with anything?”

“Mom’s company started sending her on a lot of business trips. She was the only one qualified, so she had to go. Dad started to drink a lot, and somehow managed to hide it from her. He’d only drink heavily when she wasn’t home. One night, he was going through one of the photo albums and was looking at pictures of Uncle Jim. He’d been drinking a lot that night. I was in my room, finishing up some homework when I heard him stumbling up the stairs. You were in your room, playing with some toys. You were only four.”

There was a knot in Sam’s stomach and it kept tightening as Dean kept going. His voice was getting thicker with emotion as he remembered every detail of the memory he’d been trying to forget for years. His eyes were distant as if he was reliving the memory in his mind, he probably was. Sam was starting to regret demanding to know what had happened. He could see the pain he was putting Dean through and he didn’t like it. He wanted Dean to stop, but he knew it needed to come out. Dean needed to talk about it for his own sake.

He’d never told anyone the entire story of what had happened. He hadn’t even told his mom. No one knew everything that had gone down between him and their father, and it was time for it to come to light.

“I remember hearing him throwing your door open. Instantly I knew that something bad was going to happen. He started yelling at you because you’d made a mess. You’d thrown your toys across the room, but you were only four, only a kid. You didn’t know any better. I got up and ran down the hall towards your room. When I got there, he had a beer in one hand and his voice was getting louder. I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t call the cops, I know they heard him. He didn’t hear me come in, didn’t know I was standing in the doorway watching. You were standing in front of him, crying. He’d never yelled at you like that before. That was the first time I’d seen him like that.”

Dean took a breath, still lost in the memory that had given him nightmares for years. The three men stood transfixed by the story, none of them had known how bad it was or how badly it had affected Dean until now.

“Then he raised his hand. He was going to hit you. There was no way I was going to let that happen. I ran forward as fast as I could and stood in front of you, knocking you to the ground by accident. His hand came down and hit me across the cheek. He’d been too drunk to realize I’d gotten in between you two until it was too late. When he realized he’d hit me instead of you, he got even angrier. He started yelling at me, telling me to stay out of it, it was none of my business. I turned around and pushed you around Dad, telling you to go to my room and wait for me there. I knew what was about to happen and I wasn’t going to let you see that. He raised his hand again and hit me even harder. I don’t know how many times he hit me that night…but he finally got tired of it. When he went to bed, I got up and went to find you. You’d curled up onto my bed and fallen asleep crying. I let you sleep with me in my bed that night. I didn’t want you out of my sight. I couldn’t let you out of my sight.”

His voice broke when he said the last sentence. A tear slipped past his control and rolled down his cheek. He didn’t even notice it, he was still caught up in the memory.

He paused for a minute, making them think he was done, but then he started to speak again.

“That wasn’t the last night. For the rest of the week, he’d go to your room, but I made sure I was there before he got there. I wasn’t going to let him lay a hand on you. It happened every night. Every night that Mom was gone. After that first week, he got the hint that I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you, so he started coming directly to my room. Sometimes he’d call me downstairs for a change of scenery. One night he actually laughed. I’ll never forget that night. I was laying on the floor of the living room, trying to get up, but I couldn’t. He just started laughing at me. He said I’d never amount to anything being as weak as I was.”

Sam finally found his voice. He’d been unable to say anything, the knot in his stomach too tight.

“Dean, why didn’t you fight back? Or tell someone? Tell Mom?”

Dean looked at him, emotion clearly showing on his face. “It was Dad, Sam. He was our father, the man who’d raised us. I was just a kid who’d looked up to him for years. I don’t know why I didn’t tell anyone, I just couldn’t. And I did fight back one night. It was the first night that the dreams happened. They started a week and a half after the beatings started. He’d given me hope, so I’d started to fight back, but it only made it worse. After that, he made the beatings stronger and they lasted longer. Sometimes he’d use something other than his hand. One time it was a bat, threw me into the table one night, he used different things the longer he did it. He got more creative, I guess you could say. He started leaving afterwards, telling me I was in charge of the house when I could barely get up off the floor. I’d make you promise to stay in your room every night until I came and got you. Thankfully, you’d listen to me.”

Sam felt sick to his stomach. It went beyond the knot that had been forming. He felt like he was literally going to be sick. Just imagining his big brother being tossed around by their father made him angrier than he’d ever been and sick with disgust as well. He couldn’t believe that their father, the man who’d raised them, was capable of beating one of his own sons.

“How’d it stop?”

Dean took a shaky breath as he recalled the last memory. “We were up in my room that night. He said…he wanted to try something new. He…”

Dean looked away from Sam, towards the wall. He didn’t want to say it out loud, but knew that he had to. No one knew this part. Not his mom, not the police, not anyone. He’d never told a soul about this part. Not even Cas.

“He…made me do stuff.” His voice started to shake as he forced himself to keep going.

“He beat me and then…he started to take my clothes off. I didn’t know what was going on. He’d never done that before. I knew better than to fight back, after what had happened the first time. He…did stuff to me. After he was done, he told me to get dressed. I did and he started to beat me again. I heard the front door open, but it was faint, so I knew Dad hadn’t heard it. Mom called out for him to see if he was awake, but he didn’t hear that either. All he heard was the sound of his fist slamming into me. I kicked out my foot, hoping to connect with something, make a loud noise for Mom to investigate. I ended up kicking over my nightstand and sent it crashing to the floor. He got so angry. He started hitting me harder and harder. He hit me on the back of the head and I think I blacked out. The next thing I knew Mom pushed him away from me, sending him crashing into the wall. I couldn’t move, I hurt too bad. He’d been caught off guard, so he turned to hit her too, but stopped when he saw who it was. His eyes widened and he froze. She started yelling at him, but he didn’t move a muscle. She pulled out her cell phone and called the cops.

She said, ‘If you lay another finger on my son, I’ll kill you myself.’ He started begging her, saying he hadn’t meant to, it’d been an accident. She wouldn’t have it. She knew better than that. She knew when he was lying. She yelled for you. You came running, knowing that if Mom was there, everything was okay. When you came into my room, I was still lying on the floor, hardly moving. Everything hurt. Mom was standing in between me and Dad, so you ran over to me and sat down next to me. I had enough strength to wrap my arms around you, to protect you just in case he got through Mom. I wasn’t taking any chances. I held you to me as tightly as I could. I told you not to move, that everything would be okay. I heard the sirens getting closer and knew that we’d be okay soon. Mom was still yelling at him, telling him how bad he screwed up, that we were no longer his children. She’d said he lost the right to be our father when he laid a finger on me. She kept asking over and over if he’d touched you, but I’d had enough strength to say he hadn’t, that I hadn’t let him. The cops burst through the front door and headed upstairs. By that time, my vision was starting to blur. I remember you telling me to wake up, that we had guests. Mom turned around and panicked when she saw my eyes had closed. I was still semi-conscious so I heard her calling my name, but I couldn’t move. I wanted to reach out and reassure her that I was fine, but I couldn’t do anything. You started crying when Mom panicked. That’s the last thing I heard. When I woke up, I was in the hospital a couple of days later. Mom was there, you were with Bobby. She told me what had happened after I passed out. They arrested Dad and he was sitting in jail.”

Dean walked over to the couch and sat down, putting his head into his hands. Reliving those memories had exhausted him. They’d drained him physically and emotionally.

Cas sat down next to him, putting his hand on Dean’s leg. They were all watching Dean carefully, not sure what to expect.

“What happened next, Dean?”

He lowered his hands, but kept his head down, not meeting anyone’s eye. “After I got out of the hospital, some cops came to the house to talk to me. They’d given us space at the hospital. I guess to give me time to recover from everything. I told them the basics about the first night, nothing in detail though. I didn’t want to relive it. I told them how often he would drink and hit me. They said with my testimony that he would go away for a long time, but…he was my dad. After they left, Mom asked me if I wanted to testify. She told me what I would have to go through if I did, and I didn’t want to. I’d have to get up in front of a court room and tell everyone what had happened. There was no way I was going to be able to do that, I knew that. She said that there was another option, but only if I was comfortable with it. She wouldn’t press charges if went to rehab, getting him away from the drinking. He only hit me when he was drinking, so we knew that was the problem. She said she wouldn’t let him back in the house until he’d proven himself to both of us, not just her. She wouldn’t let him come back until I was ready for him to. She wasn’t going to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with. I agreed with it. I didn’t care what happened to me, as long as you were safe. I told her that and she promised me that nothing would happen to you.

The next day, she went to the police station and told them she wouldn’t press charges as long as she got full custody of us, which she did, and if he agreed to go to rehab for his alcoholism. She told them about our conversation and that she wasn’t going to let him anywhere near her children until we were both comfortable with it. Dad agreed to it and the charges were dropped. Five months later he got out of rehab and got an apartment across town. It took another month before either of us were comfortable enough to let him near us. After that, it took a few months, but we let him back into the house. Mom wouldn’t leave him alone with either of us for a long time. She had told her boss what had happened and that she couldn’t go on any more business trips. They’d understood and started sending someone else. He stayed away from the alcohol and slowly earned his right to be our father again. I’ll never forgive him, but I know he’ll never lay a hand on either one of us again. And if he does, I’ll take him down this time.”

He finally looked up and his eyes locked on Sam’s. There were tears in his little brother’s eyes. Sam had seen the pain Dean was in, he could practically feel it himself. He’d gone through all of that just to protect him from their father. How could he not have known all of this?

“I’m so sorry, Dean. You’ve done more for me than I ever would have thought. You…went through hell because of Dad and you did it so I wouldn’t get hurt.”

Dean nodded, “Because I’m your big brother, Sammy. My job is to make sure you don’t get hurt. And when you do, it’s my job to unleash a can of whoopass on whoever does hurt you. It’s always been my job and it always will be as long as I’m alive. And when I’m dead, I’ll come back and haunt whoever messes with you.”

Sam rolled his eyes at Dean’s attempt to lighten the mood. He always was good for comic relief.

“So, because you were protecting me from Dad, your soul was strong enough to connect with Cas’s when his grace activated?”

Cas nodded as he wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist, giving him some of his energy and attempting to comfort him from his memories.

“Our souls connected and intertwined with each other, creating a bond that can’t be broken. If our souls were to untwine somehow, they would shatter, leaving our bodies as empty shells of our former selves. Though, I do not think it is even possible for our souls to be separated at this point.”

Dean looked at Cas with a small smile on his face. He lowered his voice so that only Cas could hear him. “So, you could say we’re soulmates.”

Cas looked deep into Dean’s eyes, the way he was getting into the habit of doing. A small smile graced his face as well as he said, “Yes, Dean, I believe we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Dean sings to Cas is called Sweet Silver Lining by Kate Voegle. Obviously, I love her songs since all three I've used in this story have come from her. She is just absolutely amazing and I love her songs. I advise you listen to it to hear how it goes if you haven't already.
> 
> Also, I hope none of you died from feels-overload. I laid it on pretty thick there for a while, I know. Let me know what you thought, please!! I love to hear from you.


	10. Problem Resolved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of Tuesday, Some of Wednesday, but mostly Thursday.  
> THERE ARE SPOILERS!! If you have not seen the season 8 finale, there are spoilers in this chapter. Just warning you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the beginning of the chapter is dedicated to a fellow reader. They messaged me and gave me the idea to add in some Sabriel, so...I did!  
> Thanks GallagherBlackthorneZammie for the idea!!

**Chapter 10**

The rest of Tuesday night hadn’t been very eventful as they group had separated for the night. Ellen had given the two men the night off given everything that had happened to Jo and everything else that was going on.

After Cas and Dean had gone off into Dean’s room, Gabe had pulled Sam onto the couch. “Hey, Sam. Can we talk for a minute?”

Sam raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “Since when do you call me Sam? What’s going on, Gabe?”

Gabe twisted his hands together, nervous all of a sudden. “I just want to talk to you about everything that’s happened today. I just wanted to let you know that…I never wanted to keep anything from you, you understand? I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Sam gave him a soft smile and placed his hand on Gabe’s thigh. “Gabe, it’s okay. I understand why you didn’t tell me.”

Gabe looked up at him, hopeful. “Really? So, I’m not going to lose my Samsquatch? You know I’d be lost without you.”

Sam’s smile widened as he began to lean forward. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Gabey. I’m not going anywhere. And yes, you would definitely be lost without me.”

Gabe smiled at the nickname that Sam had given him. He leaned forward as well and met Sam halfway. Their lips met and moved together slowly. It was a slow, passionate kiss that quickly turned more passionate. Gabe reached up and grabbed handfuls of Sam’s shirt. He pulled him with him as he leaned backwards onto the couch.

Once Sam was laying on top of Gabe, he wrapped his arms around Sam’s long torso and began to run his hands up and down his back. When he got tired of that, he slipped his hands under Sam’s shirt so he could have skin contact.

When Gabe’s hands made contact with Sam’s bare back, Sam moaned into Gabe’s mouth. He pulled back just slightly and looked at him seductively. “I think we should take this into the other room. I’d rather not scar our brothers.”

Gabe chuckled and nodded, reluctant to break contact, but eager to keep things moving.

They stood from the couch, unable to break contact completely. Gabe couldn’t keep his hands off of Sam as he backed him towards his room. Once the door was shut, it was game on.

 ~~~

Wednesday was uneventful as Jo hadn’t gone back to work yet. Most of the day went by in a blur for Dean. He wasn’t all there like he should have been, but there was just so much on his mind. His Mom had called to remind him that his Dad was coming down that weekend. That had sent his mind into a downward spiral where there was only one remedy for it: Cas.

Cas didn’t go to the bar that night since he had a lot of things to grade. They had just done their midterms, so he had to grade them quickly and get them onto the online system for grading. He’d told Dean if he got them done in time, he’d be there, but he had most of his classes to grade, so Dean knew it was unlikely.

When Dean got home that night, he found Cas asleep on the couch, surrounded by graded tests. He smiled softly at the scene in front of him, knowing how exhausted Cas must have been to have fallen asleep on the couch.

He picked up the tests and arranged them in piles on the table so none of them got lost. He picked Cas’s laptop off of the floor where it seemed to have slipped off his lap. Cas wouldn’t be very happy about that in the morning when he told him, but it seemed to be okay. He closed the lid and set it on top of one of the smaller piles of papers. He turned back to Cas and smiled. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping.

Dean slipped one hand under his thighs, wrapped his left arm around his neck, sat him up a little and then wrapped his other arm around his back. He picked him up and carried him gently to his room. He’d been thinking about asking Cas to just move in with him and make it official. It was always either the two of them at Cas’s apartment and Sam and Gabe here, or they were here and Sam and Gabe where at the other apartment. It made no sense to keep going back and forth when they could all just make it official, but he was worried it’d be moving things too fast.

He thanked his lucky stars that he’d forgotten to make the bed before he left earlier that morning. He laid Cas down on his side of the bed, careful not to wake him. He untied his shoes and slipped them off along with his socks. Then he sat him up a little and got his shirt off as well as his under shirt. He’d found out that Cas preferred to sleep in just his boxers and he wanted him to be comfortable. He tried not to smile as he undid his belt and the button on his pants.

He hoped that Cas wouldn’t wake up in the middle of him stripping him of his pants and freak out. Thankfully, he stayed asleep as Dean wrestled his pants off and laid them in a pile in the dirty clothes hamper by the door. He pulled the blanket up over Cas and went to get ready for bed himself.

After he brushed his teeth and had stripped down to just his boxers as well, he climbed into bed beside his angel. He had figured Cas would wake up in all the moving he’d done to get him into bed comfortably, but surprisingly he hadn’t.

Dean moved so that he was lying on his side looking at Cas. He watched him sleep for a while, thinking.

He thought about asking him to move in with him officially and making his room _their_ room. He thought about how close they had become in the week and a half that they’d known each other.

 _Well,_ he thought, _we’ve known each other for most of our lives. We’ve been there for each other when others couldn’t. That has to count for something…right?_

He thought back to a conversation he’d had with Sam earlier that night at the bar. It hadn’t been busy, at all, given it was a Wednesday night. He and Sam had had a private conversation while Gabe was helping one of the only other customers in the building. Well, they had thought it was a private conversation. They hadn’t realized that Jo and Gabe had been listening until afterwards.

Sam had asked Dean if he and Cas had slept together yet. It hadn’t been the opener to the conversation, but that’s where it had gone.

_“So, you and Cas seem to be hitting it off pretty great! How are things going between you two?”_

_Dean looked up from the glasses he was wiping down with a small smile on his face, thinking about his angel. “Couldn’t be better.”_

_Sam smiled, “That’s great, Dean! I’m glad you’re happy. So, I have a question.”_

_Dean raised an eyebrow, “Shoot.”_

_Sam took a sip of his beer before he asked. “Just wondering, but…have you two, you know…slept together yet?”_

_Dean’s eyes widened a fraction and he set down the glass. “Why in the hell would you want to know that?”_

_Sam shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just wondering. I know it’s been awhile since you’ve been with anyone. After everything that happened with Henrickson. I was just wondering if you’re letting yourself be happy and opening up to him or if you’re shutting him out like you tend to do.”_

_Dean automatically tensed at the mention of his ex. “No, we haven’t slept together yet, but I’m not shutting him out either. I’m just…taking my time with him. Cas is special, he’s not like the other guys I’ve been with. I just…I don’t want to screw anything up this time. It’s different.”_

_Sam nodded, his smile growing. “It’s obvious that you care about him a lot, Dean. Maybe it’s a good thing that you’re taking things slow. You should talk to him about it. Tell him you want to take things slow so he doesn’t get the wrong idea and start packin’.”_

_Dean frowned, not sure what to think. “He’s not…he doesn’t think…” He didn’t really know what to say. He was starting to panic that Cas might be having doubts. That maybe he was starting to think he wasn’t interested. Which, he thought he had made it obvious he was. Maybe he hadn’t…_

_Sam tilted his head slightly in confusion before it clicked. “Oh no! Dean, I didn’t mean that Cas was having doubts or anything. He adores you! I’m just saying you should talk to him so there’s no confusion between the two of you, is all. Make sure you’re both on the same page. The way he looks at you, you can tell there’s something there.”_

_Dean calmed down and thought about his angel. He thought about his smile, the way his eyes would crinkle when he really laughed, the look in his eyes when their eyes met. He’d never been this attracted to anyone else in his entire life._

_He smiled softly to himself, just thinking about Cas had that effect on him. Sam watched his brother for a few minutes as his thoughts had turned inward. It was obvious what he was thinking about. He’d gotten a goofy grin on his face as he absentmindedly wiped down the rest of the glasses. Sam knew that Dean was falling hard for Cas. And he also knew that Cas was falling just as hard for Dean._

Dean smiled at the memory of the conversation. He knew it’d been stupid to think that Cas thought he wasn’t into him. They held hands all the time, Dean flirted relentlessly with him, they cheered each other up when they could. Hell, he’d even sang to the man. They’d made out pretty passionately on the couch a few times before they’d been interrupted each time.

That was the problem he was facing. They kept getting interrupted when they were trying to have some private time to themselves. After he’d had that conversation with Sam at the bar, he’d thought that maybe it would be a good time to ask Cas to move in with him.

There really was no point in not asking him. They practically lived together now. There wasn’t a night that went by that they didn’t spend in each other’s arms.

He made a mental note to talk to Cas about it the next opportunity he got. With that thought, he wrapped an arm around Cas’s waist, shut his eyes, and fell asleep listening to the soft snores of the angel lying beside him.

**SPN**

It was about three in the morning when an overwhelming feeling of pain and anxiety ripped through Dean at an alarming rate. His heart started to pound and his chest tightened with overwhelming grief. He opened his eyes and found Cas sitting up.

His entire body was shaking and he had his head in his hands. Dean sat up immediately and wrapped an arm around his waist. He used his other hand to try to get Cas to look at him.

“Hey…Cas. What’s wrong, babe? What happened?”

Cas leaned against Dean for support and Dean tightened his grip on him. His entire body was shaking from the sobs that were vibrating from his core. He refused to lift his face for Dean to get a look at him, so Dean wrapped his other arm around him and started to rock him gently, trying to soothe him.

“Cas, tell me what’s going on. Whatever it is, we can get through it together. You just got to talk to me, baby. It’s going to be okay. Just talk to me.”

He kept muttering reassurances into his ear and waited patiently until his sobs had weakened considerably and he was able to talk. His voice shook and was thick with tears, but he was talking.

“Dean…they fell.”

“Who fell, Cas? What happened?”

Cas lifted his face from his hands, but instead of looking up at Dean, he buried it into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Dean, trying to get even closer to him, hoping just being near Dean would help.

“The angels. They fell. I watched them. It’s my fault, Dean.”

Dean’s brow furrowed. “Cas, tell me what happened. Everything.”

Cas swallowed and tried to take a deep breathe. “In my dream, I watched as the scribe for God, Metatron, he went into Heaven and performed a curse. It was a curse that cast out every angel from Heaven, forcibly making them Fall. I watched as all of my brothers and sisters in Heaven were forced to Fall. I watched as their wings were ripped from their backs and then fell to the Earth. I felt their pain. I wasn’t there to help them, Dean. I couldn’t help them.”

Dean held him tighter, hoping to ease the pain somehow. “It’s not your fault, Cas. You Fell a long time ago because God wanted you to. That was part of his plan. Maybe this was too, you never know. Someone once told me that things happen for a reason. Maybe this happened for a reason too.”

Cas tried to slow his breathing and get himself back under control. Dean was making sense, but he could still feel the pain his brothers and sisters had been in, could still see them falling from the sky.

“I’m so sorry about what you had to watch, but is it possible it was just a dream? Just a bad nightmare that seemed real?”

Cas shook his head. “No, that was most definitely real. I could tell.”

Dean nodded, still rocking them back and forth in an attempt to calm Cas down. “Okay. In the morning, we’ll talk to Gabe about it and see what he thinks about it. Maybe he had the dream too.”

Cas finally looked up at Dean. “That is a very good idea, Dean.”

Dean gave him a small smile, trying to lighten the mood a little. “I come up with those every now and then.”

Cas rolled his eyes and laid his head back down, but this time on Dean’s shoulder instead of buried in it. The pain in Dean’s chest started to subside and he knew his attempts at trying to calm Cas down must be working.

“Cas, everything will be okay. Why don’t you try to get some more sleep? It might make you feel better, babe.”

Cas nodded and allowed Dean to lay them back down on the pillows. Their arms remained wrapped around each other. Once they were laying down, Cas entangled their legs together in an attempt to get closer to Dean. Dean was his source of comfort and he needed all he could get.

“Dean.”

“Yeah, Cas?”

“Why am I in bed wearing only boxers? I recall falling asleep on the couch fully clothed.”

Cas felt the rumble of Dean’s soft laugh. “When I came home from the bar, I found you on the couch. I put all your papers on the table and carried you to bed. I took your clothes off for you to make sure you were comfortable. I know you like to sleep in just boxers.”

Cas shifted so that he could look up into Dean’s face. Even in the darkness, he could see the tear stains and the red, puffy eyes from crying as much as he had. His hair was even more messed up than usual, which kind of turned Dean on.

“That was very sweet of you, Dean. You did not have to go to that much trouble just to make sure I was comfortable.”

“It was more selfish than anything. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep without you in my arms and I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

A smile lit Cas’s face at Dean’s words. “Why will it be a long day tomorrow?”

Dean shrugged, “I dunno. I just feel like it will be.”

Cas nodded, switching topics. “I agree about the not being about to sleep. Usually I would not be able to sleep without you either, but somehow I managed to fall asleep on the couch. I was trying to stay awake until you got home. I see I failed in that attempt.”

Dean chuckled and kissed Cas’s forehead. “It’s okay, baby. I completely understood. You must have been exhausted. I don’t blame you, although that couch isn’t the most comfortable to sleep on.”

Cas nodded, “Indeed. I much prefer this bed. It is much more comfortable. Though, it also contains more than one reason to be comfortable.”

Dean raised an eyebrow, but waited for Cas to explain.

“It has you in it, Dean.”

Dean couldn’t help the slight blush that creeped onto his cheeks. He hoped the darkness masked it, but wasn’t sure. “Cas, I want to ask you something. I want you to be completely honest with me on what you think about it.”

Cas nodded, his face turning serious. “What is it, Dean?”

“I’ve been thinking…usually it’d be way too soon for this, but since we’ve practically been inside each other’s heads for years…and since we practically are already…um…I was just wondering if…you maybe wanted to move in with me. If you think it’s too soon, or moving too fast, that’s fine. I just wanted to put it out there. I mean, we’re always together and-.”

He was cut off by Cas’s lips on his. When Cas pulled away he smiled. “You were rambling, Dean. I would love to move in with you, but what about Sam and Gabriel? Have you talked to them about it?”

Dean couldn’t help the cheesy grin that plastered itself to his face. “No, I haven’t. I was more worried about what you would say. I’m sure they would be fine with it. They’ve been dating for a while, I’m sure they’d want to move in together as well. They can have that apartment and we can have this one. It works out perfectly.”

Cas smiled lovingly at the thought Dean had put into it. “Living with you would be amazing, Dean. I cannot think of anyone else I would rather live with.”

Dean’s face lit up and his eyes sparkled. He hadn’t expected it to go this well. “Neither can I, Cas. And…there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

His face turned serious again as he thought back to the conversation he’d had with Sam. Cas waited patiently for him to continue.

“I hope you don’t think…that I don’t care about you because I do, Cas. A lot. And Sam said that I need to talk to you so we’re on the same page and there’s no confusion. And he’s right. I hadn’t given it much thought with everything going on and-.”

“Dean. What are you talking about?”

“Cas…um…You’re special. This…what we have, is special. It’s different than anything I’ve ever had. Connected souls and dream sharing aside, I’ve never been in a position where what I’ve had with someone is this special. I don’t want to screw this up, Cas. I don’t want to move things too fast and things fall apart. I don’t think I could handle it if it did. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. And I didn’t want to ruin anything by…going too fast.”

Cas’s head tilted to the side in confusion. “What do you mean? How would you go too fast?”

Dean sighed, fighting to find the right words. He looked up at the ceiling, searching for them.

“In our personal relationship, we haven’t done much. Part of the reason is because we keep getting interrupted and another part is because…I don’t want to push things too fast. Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

“You’re trying to say that the reason we have not had sexual intercourse is because you want to take things slow.”

Dean looked away from the ceiling and into Cas’s eyes. “Exactly. I don’t want to rush into things and then screw something up.”

Cas smiled, “Do you really think that it matters to me that we haven’t had sex yet? We have the rest of our lives to be intimate with each other. I am enjoying just being with you the way we have been and the way we are now.”

Dean tightened the hold he had on Cas, bringing him closer to him. “I couldn’t think of any better way to spend my time than with you, Cas.”

Cas leaned forward and pressed his lips to Dean’s, all memories of the nightmare forgotten for the moment as they got tangled up in each other.

They fell asleep to soft kisses and murmured words.

**SPN**

Dean walked into the shop the next day, opening everything up. He loved being the first one there as it gave him some quiet time to think and work before everyone started to show up.

He started to whistle as he opened up the shop and clean down some tools that had been over looked the night before. He hadn’t noticed anyone walk in until they were a few feet behind him.

“What’s got you up on cloud nine?”

Dean jumped and spun around, raising the wrench he’d been wiping down in case he’d need a weapon. When he saw Bobby standing there, eyebrow raised, he lowered the wrench slowly.

“Damn it, Bobby. Don’t you know not to sneak up on a guy with a wrench in his hand?”

Bobby rolled his eyes and leaned up against the counter as Dean turned back to what he was doing. “So, things going good between you and that Cas fella I presume?”

Dean smirked and nodded, “Yeah, things are great. They couldn’t be better.”

He looked up at Bobby to let him know he was being serious. Things really couldn’t be better at the moment.

Bobby slapped him on the shoulder. “Well, I’m happy for ya, boy. It’s about damn time you let yourself be happy. You deserve it. Oh, is yer daddy still comin’ up for a visit this weekend?”

The smirk from Dean’s face vanished as he remembered the upcoming visit of his father. “Shit, I completely forgot about that. Yeah, he’s supposed to be here Saturday. Let’s just hope plans change and he reschedules.”

Bobby chuckled as he started to walk towards the office. “Knowing your daddy? You never know what could happen.”

The day moved slowly since Jo hadn’t started at the shop yet. Dean had made her wait until Friday before he let her come back to work. Without someone to mess around with, his day was slower than normal. He thought about driving over to the school for lunch to surprise Cas, but he realized he’d never actually been inside the college. Or, at least not the section that Cas’s office was in. He’d have a hell of a time finding where his office was and he only had a certain amount of time to be gone, especially with Jo not back yet.

He made a mental note to ask Sam where the office was and surprise Cas another day. What were brothers for, right? He’d heard Sam talking about hanging out in Cas’s office when his class got cancelled or ended early.

He smiled at the thought of his little brother hanging out with his boyfriend. It made him happy to think that they got along as great as they did. It’d always been stressful when he had been with Victor. Neither of them liked each other, so things had been kind of awkward when they were around each other. But things were completely different with Cas, and it made things that much easier on everyone.

When it came time for his lunch, he had the idea to just order pizza for everyone. He made the order and decided to take his break when the pizza showed up.

Dean heard the door chime and Charlie call out that the pizza guy was here and he made his way into the shop. He smiled at the smell of melting cheese and greasy crust.

He paid the guy and was about to take the pizza back into the office when he caught sight of Sam walking through the parking lot towards the shop. He smiled to himself and looked up at Charlie.

“Pizza will be in the office. And tell Sam to meet me there.”

She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t get the chance to ask what he meant before he was gone, in a hurry to chow down.

He made his way to the office, leaving behind the scent of the hot pizzas as he walked through the garage. “Take fifteen, boys! Pizza’s here!”

He set the pizzas down on his desk as Bobby brought out the paper plates and napkins they always made sure they had in case they ordered something for delivery.

He plopped down in his chair and started to dig into the top pizza. He shoved the first piece into his mouth and almost moaned at the deliciousness of it.

Sam walked into the office and made a beeline for the pizza, helping himself to a slice.

Dean looked up at Sam and spoke around his pizza, “So, what brings you here, Sammy?”

Sam sat down in the chair across from Dean’s desk, reaching for a plate to set down his slice. “I haven’t visited the shop in a while, so I figured I’d stop by since I’m done for the day. I only had to take one midterm today, so the rest of my day is open.”

Dean nodded, taking another bite of his pizza. He looked over at Bobby who was finishing up his piece. “Hey, Bobby, could Sam and I have a minute?”

Bobby looked between the two boys, curious as to what was going on, but nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him so no one walked in.

Sam turned to Dean with a curious look on his face. “What was that all about?”

Dean set down his plate, putting on a serious face. “I need to ask you something. Did Gabe happen to have a nightmare last night? About the angels falling from Heaven?”

Sam sat up straighter, setting down his plate as well. “How’d you know that?”

Dean sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. “Because Cas had the same dream last night. He woke up freaking out. I’ve never seen him like that before. It was overwhelming.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, I know the feeling. It took a while before I could get him to go back to sleep. How’s Cas doing this morning?”

“He’s okay, given what he saw. He was a little withdrawn, but it wasn’t too bad. It seems pretty serious whatever happened up there.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, there’s nothing we can really do though, right? I mean, the dude locked down Heaven pretty much and there are no more angels. There isn’t really a way to get to him and fix it.”

Dean nodded, “I’m not really the one to ask. I was planning on talking to Cas about it later. Oh, speaking of Cas. I…um…How are you and Gabe doing?”

Sam shifted forward, very suspicious. “We’re fine, Dean. Why?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders, taking another bite of his pizza. “Just wondering. You two seem to spend every night together, right?”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, we’re together every night. So are you and Cas, if you remember correctly.”

“Yeah, uh…we are. That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Sam tilted his head to the side. “What’s going on, Dean?”

Dean swallowed and cleared his throat. “Well, uh…I kind of…asked him…to move in with me. If that’s okay with you, of course. I mean, technically it’s your apartment, I guess and he’d be living there officially and moving out of the apartment he shares with Gabe. I mean, you two could have more privacy when you’re over at his apartment and you’re still more than welcome at ours, obviously since it’s yours and-.”

“Dean! You’re rambling. That’s awesome! You actually asked him to move in with you! I’m guessing he said yes?”

Dean nodded, staring down at his pizza. “Yeah. I said I’d talk to you though.”

Sam smiled at his big brother, “Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you too. Gabe asked me to move in with him Tuesday night. Looks like you two get the apartment all to yourselves.” He winked at Dean as he looked up at him, astonished.

“Wow, that’s great! And now all of us don’t have to keep going back and forth between apartments. We can figure out the details later. Oh, and…I talked to Cas about…what we talked about yesterday. At the bar.”

Sam’s smile widened. “Yeah, and? What happened?”

“He said it doesn’t matter to him. That he’s enjoying what we’re doing now and that we have time for that later.”

“Looks like your found yourself a keeper. If I were you, Dean, I wouldn’t let that one get away. Ever.”

Dean smiled. “I don’t plan to.”

**SPN**

Later on that day, Dean got off work at the shop and remembered he’d left some things he’d been meaning to get to Ellen back at home. He decided to make a quick trip to the apartment before going to the Roadhouse for his shift.

He parked the impala and made his way into the building, up the stairs and to his apartment. As soon as he’d walked into the building, he felt something was off, but he couldn’t place what exactly. He opened the door, momentarily wondering why the door was left unlocked.

As the door shut behind him, he realized that there was someone else in the apartment. Someone was sitting on the couch, waiting.

“Jason. What the _hell_ are you doing in my apartment?!”

Jason smiled wickedly at Dean. “Well, a buddy of mine found out who you are and where you live for me. I thought I’d pay you a visit. Thought we could chat. We didn’t really get the chance to the other night.”

Dean moved farther into the apartment, anger starting to bubble into his chest. “What the hell do we have to talk about?”

“Oh, I’d say a certain blue eyed man who has a strange obsession with tan trench coats. You know, I never understood why he wears them. I asked once, even offered to buy him a more fashionable coat, but he just got angry. I couldn’t figure out why.”

Dean refrained from rolling his eyes at the man’s stupidity. “Why do you want to talk about him? We have nothing to talk about.”

“Oh contraire, Dean! We have loads to talk about! For starters, I want him back. He was mine first, so I called dibs. I’m sure you understand, being a mere bartender and all. I’m sure you get that all the time.”

Dean took another step towards him. “There’s no way in hell you’re getting anywhere near him, you understand me? Gabe told me what you did to him. How you’d beat him for no damn reason other than you were drunk. You see, I have a very low tolerance for abusive assholes like yourself. I suggest you get the hell out of my apartment before I call the cops on breaking and entering.”

Jason stood from the couch and took a step towards Dean, confident in his actions. “You wouldn’t want to do that, Dean. I have several of my buddies outside in the hallway just waiting to hear the signal. If you call the cops, well, I’ll just have to kill you.”

Dean snorted. “I’d like to see you try.”

A wicked smile appeared on Jason’s face. “That can be arranged.”

Before Dean knew what was happening, Jason’s fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering back a few steps. Before he could recover from the blow, Jason was on him again, tackling him to the floor.

They landed with a loud thump, knocking the breath out of Dean as he hadn’t expected it. Jason braced himself on his knees as he started to pound his fists into Dean’s face.

After a couple of strikes, Dean got his bearings and started blocked all of his strikes. He shifted his weight and moved so that he was pinning Jason to the floor.

Jason had a small build and was more agile, but Dean had more muscle and more weight to him, giving him certain advantages.

Dean landed a few strikes of his own, but Jason used a move Dean had only seen in the movies and somehow had shifted them to the side and was back on his feet. Dean scrambles to his feet, but doesn’t get far as Jason grabs hold of the front of his shirt and slams him down on the glass coffee table that Sam had recently bought. It shattered under Dean’s weight and he landed on the pile of glass.

Dean winced as he felt pieces of glass slice into his back. He didn’t have time to think about it, however, as Jason was coming at him again. He got to his feet and lunged for Jason. He wrapped his arms around his waist, swung him around, and threw him into the wall, hard.

The blow was hard enough to crack the wall where Jason had made contact. It stopped Jason, but only for a second. He pushed himself away from the wall and stood his ground.

“That was a good throw, Dean. I can see you throwing your weight around with Castiel. Or rather his weight.”

That was Dean’s breaking point. “Don’t you _ever_ accuse me of being some kind of lowlife _scum_ who gets off on throwing people around. Namely the people they’re supposed to protect. I am _nothing_ like you. Why don’t you go back to the hole you crawled out of and just stay there. The world is filled with enough people like you as it is.”

Dean ran forward and slammed Jason back into the wall. He rammed his fists into Jason over and over again before Jason slipped away from him.

He got behind Dean and knocked his legs out from under him. As he went down, his head hit the side of the tv stand. His head started to swim as his vision blurred. He could feel something warm start to run down his face, but he didn’t think much of it. He pushed past the blurry vision and the dizziness and walked straight for Jason. There was no way he was losing this fight.

Jason had turned when Dean went down, assuming Dean was down for the count. He was wrong.

Dean swung him around and slammed his fist against his jaw so hard he heard a loud pop as his jaw slid out of place. Jason hit the floor in a heap of groans.

“What happened to your buddies, Jason? I see you were full of shit. Like usual.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He called the cops and explained what had happened, that he’d been attacked in his apartment and had defended himself. They assured him that help was on the way and to just sit tight.

Dean walked over to the couch and sat down, resting his head against the back of the couch. His blurry vision was getting worse and his eyes slid closed. He fought to keep them open, knowing he must have a concussion and that he couldn’t fall asleep, but the blood loss won in the end and everything went black.

**SPN**

It was six o’clock. The time that Sam and Cas are usually at the bar getting their first beers from Dean and Gabe. Tonight, they were one person short. Dean still hadn’t shown up for work.

So far, he was only a little bit late, so they weren’t too worried about it. Jo had mentioned to the group that Dean hadn’t allowed her to go back to work that day, but she’d be going back the next day.

Sam and Cas started up a casual conversation, wasting time waiting for Dean to show up for work. They were talking about Sam’s classes when suddenly Cas felt an intense rush of anger surge through his chest. He immediately knew it was from Dean. His eyes widened and he looked up at Sam.

“Sam. Something’s wrong.”

Sam’s brow furrowed as he leaned closer, signaling for Gabe to come over to them. “What’s wrong, Cas?”

“It’s Dean. I feel an intense rush of anger that can only be coming from him. Something’s wrong wherever he is.”

Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Dean’s number and hit send. He listened as it rang repeatedly and then went to his voicemail. “He’s not answering. I’ll call Bobby, see if he’s still at the shop.”

He dialed Bobby’s numbed and waited for him to pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Bobby! Hey, this is Sam. Is Dean still up at the shop by any chance?”

“No, he left a while ago. He should be at the bar by now. Somethin’ wrong?”

“I’m at the Roadhouse now and he’s still not here. He’s not answering and I was just wondering if he was still at the shop.”

“Oh, no. He could have made a stop, I suppose. I wouldn’t worry too much. You know how your brother is.”

“Yeah, thanks, Bobby. I’ll talk to you later.”

He hung up before he could hear Bobby’s reply. “He’s not at the shop. Bobby said he left a while ago and should be here by now.”

Cas looked at Gabe worried. They repeatedly tried to reach Dean on his phone, but eventually gave up when he didn’t answer.

Suddenly, Cas’s head started to swim. He put his hand up to his forehead and tried to steady himself on the bar. Sam reached out to try to help steady him. “Cas? What’s wrong?”

“Something happened…I think Dean’s in trouble.” He put his head into his hands, trying to stop the dizziness. His worry for Dean was growing by the minute.

After a few moments, his head started to clear and he could think straight again. He lifted his head and looked directly at Gabe.  “Could I be feeling his physical injuries? Is that possible?”

Sam’s head whipped towards Gabe to see his response. Gabe’s mouth parted slightly in concentration. “I have no idea. I’ve never had my soul bonded to anyone before. Actually, I don’t think it’s ever happened. You’re kind of writing the rulebook as you go, Cas. I guess it’s possible that you could be feeling his injuries if they’re severe enough. What exactly did you just feel?”

“My vision blurred and my head started to swim. I got very dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out. A few moments later, it slowly went away.”

Gabe nodded slowly, in thought. “Well…Okay, I have no idea. It could be possible that Dean hit his head or something and was feeling that. It could be life threatening and that’s why you’re feeling it. That’s when the dreams happen, when either of you are in dangerous situations. Well, since you’ve connected a hell of a lot more since the last time either of you have had to use the dreams, it could be reasonable to assume that if he’s in a life threatening situation right now, you could be actually feeling the severe injuries. But, again, I have no clue. It could very well be a fluke and he could be just fine, sitting in traffic or something. He could be angry because he’s late for work and got dizzy momentarily from the heat, I don’t know!”

Sam started to fidget on the seat. “I can’t sit here and do nothing while my brother might be dying! What the hell do we do?”

Gabe turned around and dialed Dean’s number using the Roadhouse’s phone. When it went to voicemail, he left a message telling Dean he better give one of them a call back or else his ass was on the line.

Cas stood and started to move away from the bar stool. “I am going to go check at the apartment. Maybe he went back there and something happened.”

Sam was about to join him when Ellen ran into the room and turned on the tv. “You guys have to see this. I just heard it on the radio in the back.”

Cas walked back to the bar and sat down. They all turned their attention to the tv as the apartment building came on the screen. An woman’s voice was heard as she talked about a break in. She said no names had been released, but there had been a break-in. “It seems that this apartment building has seen its first break-in this afternoon. One of its inhabitants arrived home and was attacked in their own apartment. They somehow managed to subdue their attacker and call for help. The attacker is being transported to the nearest hospital. The victim is being treated by the paramedics, but no word on how bad the injuries are. More to come later tonight.”

The bar was engulfed into silence as Ellen switched off the tv. They all looked around at each other, thinking the same thing. Dean was the only one not there. That had been their apartment building. They knew that it had been Dean that had been attacked given what Cas had been feeling.

Cas stood. “I’m going to the apartment.” Gabe nodded, but before Cas could turn to leave, the door opened. They all turned to see who it was and gasped. Cas ran forward.

Dean closed the door behind him and gave Cas a small smile. Gabe and Sam rushed towards him as well. Cas started to check out his injuries. “What happened, Dean?”

Sam was almost frantic. “We just saw it on the news! And Cas felt it, and we didn’t know what was going on! What the hell happened?!”

Dean held up his hands. “Just slow down, okay? I have a killer headache.”

Ellen appeared at Dean’s side and grabbed ahold of his arm gently. “Let’s get you to the bar and have you sit down. Then you can tell us what happened.”

Dean let her pull him towards the bar and gently push him down onto one of the stools. Cas sat down in front of him, never moving his eyes away from him. There was something off about Dean and it worried him.

“Okay, now tell us what happened.”

Dean looked around at all of them watching him. He took a breath and started telling them what happened. “After I left the shop, I realized I forgot something at home. I stopped at the apartment and ran up to get it. When I got there, the door was unlocked. I thought it was weird, but didn’t really think about it. When I walked in, someone was sitting on the couch.”

Sam’s fist clenched. “Who was it?”

“It was Jason.” Cas’s eyes widened.

“How did he even know where you live?”

“I guess his buddies found out for him somehow. He decided to stop by to chat.”

Cas was getting angrier as Dean went on. Jason had crossed the line this time. He asked a question that he already knew the answer to. “What did he want, Dean?”

“He wanted you, Cas. He knows that we’re together and he wanted you back. I told him to go to hell and that I was going to call the cops for breaking and entering. He said if I tried to call the cops, he’d kill me. I told him that I’d like to see him try, so he did. We fought, he threw me onto the coffee table. Looks like we’ll be needing to buy a new one. I threw him into the wall, so now there’s a nice crack in it. I think we should leave it there though, it’s kind of like a victory prize in a way. He knocked me to the side and I hit my head on the side of the tv stand.”

He reached up and touched the spot where he’d had to get stitches. It was still sore, so he winced. “Just about knocked me out. I could barely see, but I got up and punched him, popped his jaw out of place and took him down. I called the cops and then sat down on the couch. I think I passed out from the blood loss because the next thing I knew, a medic was shaking me awake and shining a flashlight in my eyes. They wanted to take me to the hospital and get a scan done, but I’m fine.”

Sam shook his head, “You’re not fine, Dean. You were just in a fight and passed out from hitting your head. You need to get it checked out.”

“Sammy, I’m fine. If anything, you should worry about that poor bastard. I don’t think he’ll be doing any talking for a while.”

Cas lowered his voice so that Ellen and Jo, who had appeared in the middle of the story, couldn’t hear him. “What did he say to make you angry? I could feel how angry you were just before you hit your head.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “You know when I hit my head?”

“Yes, my vision blurred and my head started to swim as if I had been the one to hit my head. Now answer my question, Dean. What did he say?”

Dean looked down at his hands for a moment before looking back up at Cas. “He’d compared me to him. He implied that I treated you like he did and I snapped. I told him to go back to the hole he’d crawled out of and then slammed him into the wall again. Just the thought of anyone laying a hand on you…”

He shook his head and looked back down at his hands. Cas reached out and lifted Dean’s chin with his fingers so that he was looking into Cas’s eyes.

“You are nothing like him, Dean. You are kind, caring, and you have so much love for those around you. You would never touch a single one of them and I know that to be true. You would do anything for any of us. You’ve proven that many times as well as tonight. I am sorry you were dragged into this, but you must know that he only went to your apartment because he is jealous.”

Dean smiled softly. “Our apartment.”

“Exactly.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes at the two of them. “Wait, ‘our apartment’? Since when did it become ‘our’ apartment?”

Dean rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face at the idea of him and Cas actually living together and being able to call it _their_ apartment.

Ellen pushed her way through the group so that she was standing next to Dean. “You’re not working tonight, Dean. Are you on any pain meds or can I get you a beer? You look like you can use one.”

Dean looked up at her confused. “Why can’t I work? I’m fine. I made it here just fine, didn’t I?”

“You listen here, boy. You were just in a fight with a real piece of work. He could have killed you. You even made the evening news. Now you’re going to sit here so we can keep an eye on you and you can relax or I’m going to have Cas here drive you to the hospital and you can have some tests done. Which one would you prefer?”

Dean sighed, knowing better than to test Ellen. “Yeah, I’ll take a beer.”

Ellen smiled, satisfied. She walked around the bar and got him a beer, setting it down in front of him. She turned to Cas. “Now, you keep an eye one him. You see anything off, you let me or Sam know, you hear?”

Cas nodded, “I will.”

“Good. Now I’m going to get back to work. If any of you need me, you know where to find me.”

She walked through the doors heading to the back of the building to finish what she’d been doing before she’d heard the story on the radio.

Sam sat down on a stool on the other side of Cas so that he was still in talking distance to his brother and so he could keep an eye on him as well. Gabe went back to his station behind the bar and leaned against it. There wasn’t really anyone in the bar given the time of week, so there wasn’t anything to really do besides stand there.

Dean turned to Cas. “So, you could feel it when I hit my head? How?”

Gabe scooted down to stand in front of them. “I have a theory, Dean-o, if you’re interested in hearing it.”

Dean smirked and gestured for him to go ahead.

“Since you can feel the other’s intense emotions and go to each other’s rescue in your dreams…I’m thinking that it makes sense that if one of you gets a life threatening injury, the other will be able to feel it. That way they know the other person needs help and why, what kind of help. Just a theory though.”

Dean looked back at Cas, thinking it through. “It does make sense, I guess. There was a lot of blood.”

Worry flashed through Cas’s eyes. Dean could see how much it had affected him. He placed his hand on Cas’s and squeezed reassuringly. “Cas, I’m fine. Really. I can handle myself against douchebags.”

“You should not have had to handle yourself against him. He should not have been anywhere near you. The fact that he was anywhere close to you, let alone hitting you, infuriates me.”

Dean entwined their fingers together, squeezing reassuringly once more. “It’s okay. I hit him right back. And besides, he’s a scrawny little bastard. He had no chance against me. He got in a few lucky shots, I’ll give him that. And he’s fast, but I have more muscle and more weight to me than he does. There was no way he was going to beat me. There was no way in hell. He only gave me more fuel when he kept talking.”

Cas shook his head. He grabbed the beer he’d neglected when he’d started to worry about Dean earlier and took a long swig from it.

“I just want him out of my life. Out of _our_ lives.”

Dean nodded, “I know the feeling.”

He took a swig from his own beer and stared down at it, thinking about the law suit that had somehow managed to slip his mind in the past week. He’d completely forgotten about it somehow. He still needed to find a good, affordable lawyer.

“Has Henrickson tried to contact you since he delivered the papers?”

Dean shook his head. “Nope. Personally, I’d like to keep it that way. Unless he comes to tell me he’s dropping the law suit because the good for nothing jackass who actually did steal from him paid him back. I still need to find a lawyer. I don’t know how much it’s worth it though. I’d be paying my lawyer about the same amount I’d be paying Victor.”

Sam chose that moment to join the conversation. They started talking about different lawyers that he had talked to, some of his professors who still practiced. He’d found him several affordable lawyers who would be willing to take on his case.

They talked law suit business for a good hour or so, going through a couple of beers to each of them. Dean was just about to call it a night and go home given that he still had a huge mess to clean up at home.

He turned to Cas and had just opened his mouth to make the suggestion they head home early when he heard Gabe mutter under his breath as the door opened. “I don’t believe it…”

He’d been the only one of the group to hear him say it and he turned to see who had walked through the door. Low and behold, it was none other than Jack Anderson: the man Victor cheated on Dean with.

Dean’s eyes widened. What were the chances of him walking through the door that night? Pretty slim.

He immediately stood and made his way over to him. He hadn’t moved very far from the door, so Dean pushed him up against the wall when he got close enough.

Cas, Sam and Gabe were watching the interaction from the bar. Sam and Cas turned to Gabe. “Who is that guy, Gabe?”

Gabe wasn’t paying any attention to them. His attention was focused solely on Dean and Jack. “I don’t believe it. He has the nerve to come in here.”

Cas and Sam exchanged a look before turning back to watch what was happening.

Dean lowered his voice, “Why the hell did you steal two thousand dollars from Victor, hm? I know you did it. He’s suing me for it.”

Jack’s eyes widened in fear. He held his hands up, trying to act innocently. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Dean narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood to put up with anything. “Don’t give me that bull. I know it was you. There’s no way in hell I’m going to be the one to pay him back when I didn’t do a damn thing, you understand? Now, you’re going to pay him back and we’re going to get this mess straightened out. Okay?”

Jack surrendered. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for any trouble to come out of it. He’d arranged the whole thing. He said he’d give me two grand if I left the bar with him that night, but was sneaky about it. I didn’t know you two were together until you walked in, I swear! When you left, he was distracted so I just took it. I didn’t think he’d come after you for it!”

Dean held up his hand, silencing him. “Wait, you’re saying he set it all up? He was going to pay you to sleep with him? To meet at the bar that I work at and leave from here?”

Jack nodded, “Yeah, I swear I didn’t know anything about you. I thought he was single. I wouldn’t have done it if I would have known.”

Dean shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. That just added to the list of reasons why he couldn’t stand Victor. “Okay, I’m going to have my friend over there call the cops and we’re going to get this all sorted out. There is no way in hell I’m going to pay the two grand and we might as well just get it figured out now.”

He didn’t wait for Jack’s reply as he turned around and looked at Gabe. He nodded at him, knowing that Gabe would understand. And, sure enough, he did because he nodded back before walking over to the phone and calling the cops.

He turned back to Jack who looked very frightened. “Let’s go have a seat at the bar while we wait. I’m sure Victor will make an appearance once he finds out what’s going on and when he does, I can rip him a new one.”

He walked over to the bar, Jack in tow. The guy was about half the size of Dean and had good reason to be scared of him. He was like a toothpick compared to Dean.

Dean sat down at the stool he’d been sitting at and grabbed his beer. Jack sat down on the other side of him, very nervous.

Cas and Sam looked between Jack and Dean, both confused as to what was happening. Dean turned to them. “This is Jack. He’s the guy who actually had the two grand. And he just gave me some rather interesting news. I figured we’d have ourselves a little party.”

Gabe walked over to them, nodding at Dean. He pulled out his cell phone and brought up a new text message. He clicked on Victor’s number and typed a quick message: _I have your money. I’m at the Roadhouse. Come get it._

Cas’s head tilted in confusion. “Dean, what is going on?”

“Oh, just wait and see, Cas. You’re about to witness me ripping a new one into a federal agent, also known as the ex from hell.”

Dean explained to them what was going on. He asked Cas to keep an eye on him, make sure nothing happened to him. If he knew Victor, and he did, he didn’t want to take any chances.

Dean told Cas to take Jack over to the pool table and start a game. He instructed him to bring Jack outside about five minutes after he and Victor left. He didn’t want to start a scene in the middle of the bar.

It wasn’t very long until Victor walked in and sat down next to Dean. Cas didn’t move his eyes away from either of them from the moment Victor walked through the door.

“So, I got your message. I thought you’d come around. There’s no need to waste money hiring a lawyer when you could just give me the money and be done with it.”

Dean set down his beer and stood up. “Follow me if you want your money.”

He didn’t wait to see if Victor followed him. He left the bar and started walking a little ways away from the door so that people could still get inside without a problem.

Once he got far enough away, he stopped and turned around. Victor was standing behind him with a confused look on his face. “My money’s all the way over here? Really, Dean. What’s going on?”

Dean narrowed his eyes. “I should be asking you the same question. You see, I found out something that interested me tonight. Something about that night when I walked in with you and another guy.”

Victor rolled his eyes. “You’re being overly dramatic, Dean, like usual. It was sex. And you were more than welcome to join in, I told you that.”

“It’s really amazing how stupid you are, you know that? You really think I wanted to join in with my serious boyfriend as he had sex with another guy? You’re dumber than I thought.”

“It was casual sex, Dean! It was for fun. You remember fun, right? That thing people do when they don’t have sticks shoved up their asses. Or…even when they do. But that’s not the type of stick I’m talking about here. Speaking of. I heard about you and that…what was he again? Some art freak wash-out? I never knew you were into charity, Dean.”

Dean’s hands clenched into fists. “Cas is anything _but_ a wash out and I don’t see how he is any of your business. So if I were you, I’d steer clear of him. It seems you know exactly what kind of news I received tonight seeing as you’ve steered the conversation away from it. Now spill, Victor.”

Victor crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Okay, this is getting to be more annoying than amusing. I’ve told you I don’t know what you’re talking about. You know exactly what happened that night. You saw it yourself.”

Dean nodded, a smirk sliding onto his face. “Yeah, I do. You see, the guy who slept with you happened to come into the bar. I knew he was the one who had your money so I asked him about it. That’s when he told me everything. He told me about how you hired him to meet you here that night I was working. How you told him to sneak out after you left and paid him to sleep with you. Two grand to be exact. The same amount that when you were following me out of the apartment, he took what was rightfully his. So, I don’t owe you a damn penny. And I can prove it.”

Victor’s eyes widened the tiniest bit before he tried to hide it. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Dean. I didn’t hire anyone.”

“Oh, bullshit. Just save it, would you? You don’t have enough dignity to just admit it, do you? To just fess up for once. You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m not the one with dignity issues here. At least I’m successful at what I do and doing something worthwhile. What do you do again? Oh yes, you’re a mechanic and a bartender. How satisfying.”

Dean fought the urge to slam him against the wall. His fingers were itching to grab onto his shirt and slam him into the side of the building. “I own my own business and it’s a damn good business. You know that. You’re just jealous that I’m capable of having people in my life who don’t secretly hate me. When was the last time you had a relationship that actually lasted? Besides me. Or how about when was the last time you talked to anyone in your family?”

That was the last straw for Victor. He grabbed a hold of Dean’s shirt and slammed him into the wall. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Dean.”

Dean smiled, “Actually, I do. You never talked about any of your family. Either you don’t have any or you don’t talk to any of them. You never talked about anyone. No friends, no family, no colleagues. Do you even have a partner that can stand to be around you?”

Victor’s grip on Dean’s shirt tightened. He heard someone running towards them and knew who it was. He’d been keeping track of the time.

“Just face it, Victor. You’re lonely and miserable so you get off by making everyone else around you just as miserable. It’s not going to work this time. I know the truth now. And I’m not miserable no matter what you do. You don’t have an effect on my life anymore. I’ve moved on.”

Cas reached them with Jack not far behind. He saw the look on Dean’s face and hesitated. “The cops are on their way. If I were you, I’d let him go.”

Victor turned to look at Cas and saw the hard look on his face. He wasn’t fooling around. That’s when he saw the familiar face of Jack hiding behind Cas.

“You actually had the balls to come out here, huh? I figured you would have scurried off somewhere by now.”

Dean used Victor’s distraction to push him off of him. He didn’t want to be that close to him, or anywhere near him for that matter. He took a step and blocked Victor’s view of Jack.

“Cas was telling the truth. The cops are on their way. In fact, they should be here any minute. Once they arrive, we’re going to get this whole thing sorted out and you’re never coming near me, my boyfriend, or Jack ever again.”

The cops chose that precise moment to pull into the parking lot. Dean smirked as they parked, got out of their cars, and walked towards the group.

“Is one of you named Dean Winchester?”

Dean nodded, “That’s me.”

“We got a call saying there was a problem. So, what seems to be the problem?”

Dean explained everything to them. He explained about the lawsuit, about what actually happened to the money, he even explained about Victor coming into the shop and threatening him. When he was finished, one of the cops walked away and pulled out his cell phone. After a few minutes, he walked back and looked directly at Victor.

“I just got off the phone with the chief. I told him everything. He’s on his way and gave me orders to make sure you stayed here. One way or another.”

Victor turned towards Dean and narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t over, Dean.”

Dean wrapped an arm around Cas’s waist. “Actually, I think it is. And it’s about damn time too.”

**SPN**

When Dean and Cas were finally able to make it back inside, Sam and Gabe bombarded them with questions. Dean held up his hands and told them everything that had happened.

“And in the end, the chief showed up. He ripped Victor a new one, more so than I did. He’s gonna be pretty sore tomorrow. And on top of that, I signed a restraining order, as did Cas and Jack. He can’t come anywhere near us again. Oh, and he’s been suspended for using his badge falsely or something. I wasn’t really paying attention by that point. I was more focused on the look on his face when his boss took away his gun and badge. Now that was priceless.”

Cas chuckled. “Indeed it was. I think tonight has been quite successful. You no longer need a lawyer and he cannot come anywhere near you.”

Dean smiled at him as he tightened his hold on his waist. “Don’t forget he can’t come anywhere hear you either. I wouldn’t put it past him to get to you to get back at me. And we don’t have to worry about Jason anymore. He’s going back to prison on parole violation along with some other hefty charges. We won’t be seeing him around for quite some time.”

Cas nodded. “I just wish it had come with a smaller price than you getting injured.”

Dean’s eyes softened as he kissed Cas’s temple. “It was worth it. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters to me.”


	11. What Are You Doing Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John comes to town a day earlier than scheduled, but why? Read and find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOOO sorry for taking, what? A month? Longer? To update this story. I know it's been forever and a day and I deeply apologize for that. It's a long chapter to make up for it though. I hope you enjoy! Or....as much as you can enjoy with what happens...... =/

**Chapter 11**

**“** I think we should go watch a movie. I’m sure Dean-o won’t want to do a whole lot after working all day.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, he’s the only one of us who’s actually done something today.”

Cas looked up from the papers he was grading and watched as Sam and Gabe planned the night’s festivities. Sam had come up with the idea for the four of them to go on a double date since both Gabe and Dean had been given the night off.

Dean had quickly agreed when they’d gone up to the shop at lunch time and asked him what he thought of the idea. He thought it’d be nice to hang out as a group in a setting other than the bar for a change.

“We could get supper. I know I’m starving, I’m sure he is too.”

Cas chuckled, “Dean is always starving.”

Sam turned in Cas’s direction with a smile on his face. “He’s been that way for as long as I can remember. What do you think he’ll wanna do, Cas?”

Cas set down his pen and relaxed into the couch. “I am sure dinner and a movie would be just fine with him. Like Gabriel said, he has been working all day and probably will not want to do a whole lot.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, and it seemed pretty busy up there. Of course, it’s always busy up there.”

Gabe tapped his fingers on his knee, thinking about what movie they would all enjoy. Cas was never very picky, but Dean was. It could create a challenge with their movie selection. He was pulled out of his thinking when a thought struck him. He sat up and looked over at his little brother.

“Hey, Cassie. Gotta question for you.”

Cas looked over at him and nodded for him to proceed with the question.

“Have you…Can you and Dean still feel each other’s strong emotions?”

Cas scrunched his eyebrows together. “It is not as powerful as it was, but I believe we still are able to. Why do you ask?”

Gabe shrugged, leaning back into his seat. “Just wondering.”

Sam glanced up at the clock on the wall and furrowed his brow. “Dean should have been home, like, an hour ago.”

Cas looked at the clock as well. “Indeed. Maybe they had more customers come in.”

Sam pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts until he reached Dean’s number. “I’ll just give him a quick call, see what’s the hold up.”

It rang a few times before Dean’s voice came over the phone and Sam quickly hit the speakerphone button.

“Hey, Sammy. I know I’m running late. We had a few cars come in and I had to stay late and help Jo work on them.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dean. We’re still figuring out what we’re going to do tonight.”

They heard a door click shut and some muffled movements on the other end of the line. “Okay, I should be home in, like, ten minutes. Bobby’s gonna close everything up like usual and I’m just about to walk out. Are Cas and Gabe already over there?”

Gabe leaned towards the phone. “You bet, Dean-o. Oh, you’re on speaker phone. Samsquatch forgot to mention that.”

They could practically hear Dean roll his eyes. They heard the familiar sound of his keys jingling together and the sound of a door opening.

“Thanks, Sam. I’ll be home here in a…shit. I forgot to do something. I blame you, Sam.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because you called and distracted me, bitch.”

“Jerk.”

They heard Dean chuckling before complete silence came from the other end of the line.

“Dean?”

“…Dad?”

The line went dead before any of them could say anything.

**SPN**

Dean put all his paperwork away as his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and hit accept.

“Hey, Sammy. I know I’m running late. We had a few cars come in and I had to stay late and help Jo work on them.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dean. We’re still figuring out what we’re going to do tonight.”

He walked out of the office and closed the door behind him. Bobby was in the main lobby talking to a customer, so there was no one in there.

“Okay, I should be home in, like, ten minutes. Bobby’s gonna close everything up like usual and I’m just about to walk out. Are Cas and Gabe already over there?”

“You bet, Dean-o. Oh, you’re on speaker phone. Samsquatch forgot to mention that.”

Dean rolled his eyes. That was a very Sam-like thing to do. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the impala.

“Thanks, Sam. I’ll be home here in a…shit. I forgot to do something. I blame you, Sam.”

He shut the door and walked back into the shop.

 “Me? Why me?”

“Because you called and distracted me, bitch.”

“Jerk.”

Dean chuckled, but it quickly ended when he looked up and saw the last person he was expecting to see standing in front of the door to the office.

“Dean?”

“…Dad?”

He clicked the end button and slid his phone into his pocket. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t supposed to get here until tomorrow.”

John turned around and smiled at his son. “Just thought I’d make the trip up here a day early. That okay with you?”

On the inside, Dean was shaking his head, wanting to object, but on the outside he just smiled faintly. “Yeah, of course.”

“Great! Now…There is a reason I stopped by the shop instead of at the apartment. I wanted to talk to you in private without your brother around.”

Dean nodded and stepped into the office. He shut the door behind John and then sat behind his desk.

John looked around the office with a look on his face that Dean knew so well.

“Singer and Son Mechanics, huh? Catchy name.”

Dean suppressed the urge to groan. They’d had that argument plenty of times before. His dad hated the fact that he was practically calling Bobby his father, but he really didn’t care. Bobby had been more of a father to him that John was, so it only seemed right.

“Dad, just drop it. We’ve already had that argument enough times.”

John visibly tensed as if he wanted to argue, but he kept his mouth shut on the topic. Instead, he said, “So, Dean, we need to talk.”

Dean didn’t like the tone he was using. He knew that whatever his Dad was about to say he wasn’t going to like it.

“Okay, then talk.”

John turned towards Dean nervously. That act alone made Dean sit up a little straighter.

“Dean…It’s about one of the guys you hired to be your mechanic.”

Dean’s brow furrowed. “What do any of the guys have to do with anything? I never even mentioned who I hired to you or Mom.”

John nodded, running a hand through his hair. “No, you didn’t, but I’m…close to his mother. She told me that he got hired at a mechanic shop here and told me the name…I connected the dots.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by close?”

John swallowed, but didn’t answer the question. “I talked to him. He said you’re a great boss. He doesn’t know what I’m about to tell you, so you can’t blame him. He has no idea about anything. He just applied to the job because it’s a shop.”

“Dad…what the hell is going on?”

John sighed, figuring he should better just say it and get it over with. “He’s my son. Your brother. Well, half-brother. It’s Adam.”

Dean’s mind went blank. Adam. His…brother? That’s when it clicked. The first time Dean met the guy he’d thought that something was familiar about him, but he hadn’t been able to put his finger on it…until now.

His mouth dropped open when everything started to sink in. “Adam is my half-brother? As in…you _cheated_ on Mom?!”

John held his hands up. “Now hold on, that’s strictly between me and your mother. I just wanted to let you know that he’s your brother.”

Dean stood from his chair. “No, it’s not strictly between you and Mom. You fucking _cheated_ on her?! After everything that you’ve done to this family, you thought that going out and having sex with another woman was a great idea?!”

“That’s no way to speak to your father, Dean! If I were you, I’d watch your mouth.”

Dean was getting angrier as the conversation went on. “Some father you are. How the hell can you live with yourself for going out and having another kid with someone who’s not mom? How the hell can you go home to her every day and pretend everything is just peachy?”

John narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need you to judge me, Dean. I came here solely to tell you that you have family working here, nothing more. Now, this is the end of the discussion, you hear me?”

“No, it’s not the end of the discussion. You don’t get to just walk in here, tell me you fucked some woman and got her pregnant, and now the kid’s working for me. You don’t get to just tell me all of that and just expect me to accept that. Who the hell do you think you are?”

John’s face was turning red as his temper started to rise. “I’m your father, that’s who I am! And what I say goes, do you hear me?”

Dean shook his head as he moved out from behind the desk. “No, that stopped happening years ago. You don’t have the right to tell me what to do anymore. I may have went along with it before, but now there’s no way in hell.”

John took a step closer to Dean, but Dean held his ground. He wasn’t going to be intimidated by his father any longer. “Now you listen to me, Dean-.”

“No, you listen to me. There’s no way you can call yourself my father or try to tell me what to do. I’m a grown man and deserve more respect than that. Not that you’re even capable of showing respect. Does mom know? Have you told her about this?”

John hesitated, but then shook his head. “No, you’re the only one in the family who knows. Adam doesn’t even know.”

Dean shook his head. “I can’t believe you. Mom deserves to know. She deserves to know that you’re not man enough to keep it in your pants long enough to make it home.”

“Your mother isn’t going to know. She doesn’t need that kind of stress.”

Dean’s face showed sheer incredulousness. “Wow. No, I don’t think she does. You should have thought of that before you went out and slept with someone else, let alone made another kid. If you don’t tell her, I will. Either way, she has to know.”

John’s face reddened further and he took another step closer to Dean. Now he was so close to him they were only inches apart.

“Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, you hear me? No one will believe you anyway.”

Dean laughed, he actually laughed at John. “You really think that no one would believe me over my pathetic, abusive father who goes around sleeping with women and knocking them up?”

John’s fist connected with Dean’s jaw so hard Dean stumbled back a few steps. His eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t been expecting John to hit him.

John took another step towards Dean. “Now, Dean, be reasonable here. You’re a smart man, I raised you better. Keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for ya.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “Like hell I will. I actually care about this family, unlike you. I’ll say what needs to be said.”

John advanced on him again and shoved him against the wall so hard the door rattled. Neither men noticed, but the door opened a moment after the bang and Bobby stood in the doorway in shock. He didn’t know about their past and what John did to him as a kid, so seeing John holding him against the wall surprised him.

“Now you listen to me you little good for nothing shit. I came down here because I felt that you needed to know. No one else needs to know about it. So, you’ll keep your mouth shut if you don’t want the past to come back into play. You’re still pretty protective of Sam, right? We wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, now would we?”

That was Dean’s snapping point. In his mind, you could do whatever to him, but you never threaten his little brother.

Dean slammed his weight against John, sending him staggering back a couple of steps. He slammed his fist into John’s cheekbone, sending him back a couple of more steps. He landed another blow to his gut, then slammed his forearm into the side of his head, knocking him backwards into the chair that always sat across from Dean’s desk.

“Don’t you ever even _think about_ laying a finger on him. I don’t give a rat’s _ass_ what you think about it, but I am telling them. There is no way in hell I’m keeping that from everyone. Your dirty little secret is coming out whether you like it or not. Now, I suggest you get the hell away from me and Sam if you know what’s good for you. And don’t you even think about touching Mom. If I find out you’ve laid a finger on her, I’ll come for you. I promise you that.”

Dean turned away from his father, who was still daised from the attack, stepped around Bobby and left the office. He pulled his phone out, turned it off, and slipped it into his pocket before sliding into his baby and peeling out of the parking lot.

**SPN**

Sam looked over at Gabe. “Dad’s not supposed to be here until tomorrow. If he showed up early and went straight to the shop to talk to Dean, then that’s not good. Whatever is going on, it’s not going to end well.”

Gabe nodded, looking over at Cas. “Hey, Cassie. If you feel any overwhelming emotions other than your own, let us know.”

Cas furrowed his brow in frustration and anxiety, but nodded his head. He was worried about Dean. Whatever could make his father show up a day earlier than expected and show up at Dean’s business unannounced could not be good.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, wondering if it was possible to tune in further to Dean’s emotions. It was worth a shot.

 

It was about half an hour later when Sam’s phone rang. He picked it up, saw that it was Bobby calling, and immediately his anxiety doubled.

“Bobby? What’s going on?”

“You seem to already know that something happened. I’m guessing you know that your father is in town early?”

“Yeah, I was on the phone with Dean when he showed up. He ended the call though, so that’s all we know.”

Sam heard a sigh on the other end of the line and Sam got more worried. He hit the speaker phone button again, knowing that whatever Bobby had to say, it was better to not repeat it.

“Bobby, you’re on speakerphone with Gabe and Cas. I figured whatever’s going on, it’ll be easier than repeating it.”

“Well…it’s not good, let me tell you that. Dean left in a hurry. I’m assuming he won’t be going back to the apartment anytime soon by the expression on his face and I’ve already tried calling him. The damn idjit shut his phone off.”

Sam ran a hand through his hair, not liking the sound of that. “Bobby, what happened?”

“Your father is what happened. Now, I don’t know what happened between the two of them to get a reaction like that. I didn’t even know things were that bad between them. I knew it wasn’t good, but damn. They were in the office arguing so loud Charlie and I could hear them from the main lobby. I couldn’t make out all the words, but something about lies? I don’t know for sure what was being said, but I went about my business, closing up shop when I heard a bang from the office. The door even rattled. So, I walked in there to see what happened and found John pinning Dean against the wall and getting in his face. He said something about no one else needing to know something. Then he threatened to hurt you if Dean didn’t keep his mouth shut. So, of course that’s when Dean snapped. You know how protective he is of you. He slammed against him, hit him a few times, and knocked him into the chair. I was impressed, never thought I’d see the day when Dean let his old man have it. He told John not to hurt you or your mom; otherwise, he’d go after him. Then he left.”

Sam’s mouth dropped open and he looked over at Gabe and Cas. They also had expressions of shock on their faces, but Cas’s eyes held fury. He was pissed that John had had the nerve to lay a hand on Dean again.

“What’d Dad say after Dean left?”

“Well, nothing at first. Then he tried to make some sad excuse, but I wasn’t hearing it. I told him to stay the hell away from you two if he knew what was good for him, gave him a piece of my mind. I’ve been itching to do that for years, finally got the chance, the damn idjit. He never had the balls to do anything around me until now. He left right before I called you. Thought you might wanna know what happened and that he’s probably on his way there now since Dean and I told him not to.”

Sam groaned, putting his head into his hands. All he’d wanted was a nice, relaxing time with his boyfriend, his brother, and his brother’s boyfriend. He didn’t want all this family drama. There was plenty of it when it came to their dad.

“Thanks, Bobby. If you hear from Dean, let me know. I’ll call Ellen and see if he went there.”

“You’re welcome, boy. Oh, and…be careful around the old man. You said Gabe and Cas are there?”

Gabe sat up a little straighter at being addressed, “Yeah, we’re both here.”

“Good. Don’t let John be alone with either Dean or Sam. I don’t give a rat’s ass what any of them say. Nothing good will come out of it.”

Cas nodded, though Bobby couldn’t see. “You have our word, sir.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, how many times have I told you to call me Bobby? Sir was my father. Now, I’ll let you three go. Remember, don’t even think about being alone with him, Sam. And look out for your brother. Whatever happened tonight, he’s gonna need some time. And beer.”

“Yeah, thanks again, Bobby. I’ll let you know what happens.”

“Alright. Talk to you idjits later.”

The phone went dead as the three men sat in silence, wondering what to do. It was only a moment before Sam looked up at Cas. “You didn’t feel anything? Nothing from Dean?”

Cas slowly shook his head. “There were no overwhelming emotions coming from him. I do not understand why if what Bobby said is true.”

Gabe nodded, thinking it through. “Maybe it only happens when it’s, like, life-threatening. I mean, not just _any_ overwhelming emotion, but when his life is in danger or something.”

“But, Bobby said Dad was pinning Dean to the wall and then Dean fought back. Is that not life-threatening enough?”

Cas nodded, working through the situation. “I believe Gabriel is correct. Though he was in a confrontation with his father, his life may not have been in jeopardy. Or, it could be that Dean may not have been scared. The other times when it happened, Dean was scared for Jo’s life and I had been scared during the dream I had. It could be that Dean has gotten over his fear of his father and did not feel threatened by him.”

Sam nodded, “Okay, I guess that makes sense. So, what are we going to do? I’ll call Ellen, see if he went to the Roadhouse.”

Cas shook his head, “He won’t be there. He knows that if he goes to the Roadhouse, Ellen and Jo will question him relentlessly as to what happened to make him so upset, and that either of them would call you, letting you know where he is. He will go to a bar he would not usually go to so as not to let anyone know where he is. Since he has shut his phone off, he does not want to be found; therefore, he will make sure he is not found until he wants to be.”

Sam nodded, “Well, I’m just going to call to be on the safe side. Ellen knows a lot of the bar owners in town. Maybe she can make a few calls, find out where he is.”

He picked his phone up from the table and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number for the Roadhouse. He hit send and then brought it up to his ear. He decided against speakerphone this time around. It rang a couple of times before Ellen’s voice came over the line.

“Roadhouse Bar and Grille. This is Ellen.”

“Ellen! Hey, this is Sam.”

“Sam! Hey, what can I do for you?”

“Something happened tonight between Dean and our father. Dean took off and I was wondering if he went there.”

There was a pause and Sam imagined her straightening up, instantly worried. “No, he’s not here. And knowing him, he won’t be coming here if he doesn’t want interrogated. Now, I’m assuming he turned off his phone for you to be calling me?”

“Yeah, his phone’s off.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll make a few calls, see if I can find out where he went. But, Sam, if I were you and something happened that’s bad enough for him to just take off and turn off his phone…I’d leave him be until he’s ready to be found. It could do more harm than good to find him before he’s ready.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, I know. I just want to know that he’s okay. Thanks, Ellen. Let me know if you come up with anything.”

“Sure thing, Sam. And you keep me updated. I want to know the minute you find him. Text Jo if you can’t call. I’ll make sure she keeps her phone glued to her.”

“I will. And I don’t think that will be too hard. She always has it glued to her.”

He heard her laugh softly, more nervously than genuine. “Yeah, I could wring her neck sometimes. You take care now, Sam.”

“I will. Thanks again, Ellen.”

The line went dead and he set his phone down on the coffee table. “She’s going to make a few calls, see if he went to any of the bars where she knows the owners.”

Gabe nodded, “That’s all we can do. Do you really think your dad’s going to come here after what happened with Dean?”

Sam looked up at him and nodded, “Yeah, I know he will. Someone tells him not to do something, he usually does it.”

There was a knock on the door and all three men looked up. Before Sam could move, Gabe stood and walked over to the door. He opened it and came face to face with a man who was roughly the height of Dean, sturdy build, but quite rough around the edges. He had dark hair and a scruffy beard, but you could see the family resemblance.

“You must be the infamous Mr. Winchester.”

John’s eyes narrowed at the smaller man in front of him. “Yes, and who might you be? This is my son’s apartment.”

Sam appeared in the doorway behind Gabe and John instantly saw the tension radiating off of him. “Dad. What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be in town until tomorrow.”

John attempted a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. “Funny, Dean said the same thing. Now, are you going to let your old man in or just let me stand out here in the hallway all night?”

Sam hesitated, but after a moment he put his hand on Gabe’s upper arm and pulled him out of the way, letting John into the apartment. John missed the look that was passed between the two men as he stepped into the apartment and looked around.

He noticed another man sitting on the couch. He didn’t seem very happy, but John didn’t really care. He turned and looked at his son. “So! Long time no see, Sam. You going to offer your old man a beer or what?”

Sam nodded and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed them all a beer since Gabe had remained in the living room. Gabe wasn’t going to let anyone be alone in the same room as this man, especially not his little brother.

Sam walked back into the room and passed around the beer. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a spoon, a very dull spoon.

Sam sat down on the couch, gesturing for Gabe to do the same. Gabe made sure to position himself between Sam and his father, which made Sam’s heart swell. Gabe had never really had a reason to be protective of him until now, so Sam had never gotten to see this side of him. He really rather liked it. Other than the part where it was because of his own father that he had to act like this. That kind of put a damper on things.

“So, Dad…um…how are things back home?”

John took a long pull from his beer before looking at his son and answering. “Same ole, same ole, I guess. Your mother started re-painting the walls. She said she was ready for a change, or something to that affect. New carpet and furniture too. She’s redoing the whole house pretty much.”

Sam nodded, not really interested in small talk. He already knew that his mother was redoing the house. He’d just talked to her about it earlier that day. “That sounds like a good project for her.”

John nodded, “Yeah, she likes to keep herself busy. You know your mother.”

Sam nodded again, things were getting more and more awkward. He couldn’t just come out and say what he wanted to. Not without knowing what had actually gone down between them. He knew that his father would just make some excuse for it, probably call Bobby a liar and say Dean just had a couple of errands to run or something.

Sam wasn’t going to buy it this time. Not after knowing what his father had done to Dean in the past. There was no way he could ever look at this man the same way ever again.

**SPN**

Three hours and some very awkward conversation later, the front door opened and everyone looked up. Cas, Gabe, and Sam had been just about ready to pull their own hair out, they’d been so worried. Not to mention they couldn’t talk about it or try to find Dean with John sitting right there in the same room. They’d all had to keep silent about the matter, waiting for Dean to finally come home.

Cas watched Dean walk through the door and his eyes immediately went to the bruise that was forming on Dean’s jaw. His anger flared again and he knew that it had come from John.

Dean closed the door behind him, his mind in another place. He hadn’t even noticed his father’s coat hanging by the door as he’d walked by it. When he walked into the living room and finally looked up to see his father sitting there with Sam, Gabe, and Cas, he stopped dead in his tracks.

His eyes narrowed and he looked his father dead in the eye. “What the hell are you doing here?”

John stood from the chair he’d been sitting in and plastered a fake smile on his face. “Visiting my sons, what else would I be doing here?”

They could all see Dean’s anger rising. Dean’s eyes flicked to Sam’s and then back to John’s. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say you didn’t tell him why you’re really here.”

The fake smile faltered the slightest bit, but it wavered back into place. “I told you, I’m here to spend time with my sons. Last time I checked, that’s not a crime.”

Dean shook his head, “No, it’s not. But your sons don’t live here, so you can leave.”

John’s eyes narrowed as Sam stood up. “Dean, what are you talking about?”

Dean had hoped that Sam would catch on as soon as it had slipped out of his mouth. Sam was smart. Nothing could slip by him. Dean glared at their father. “Go ahead, John. Why don’t you tell your son why you’re really here. Tell him what you told me.”

John shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “Dean, drop it. I’m warning you.”

A smirk appeared on Dean’s face, “You’re warning me? What the hell are you going to do? Hm? If you didn’t catch on back in my office, I’m not scared of you.”

John’s eyes narrowed further. “Dean…you better watch your mouth.”

“Or what? You going to shove me against the wall again? I don’t think so.”

John took a step closer to Dean, but Dean didn’t back down. He saw out of the corner of his eye as Cas and Gabe stood up, worried. “Dean, I’m warning you. I’m your father and you’ll do what I say.”

Dean laughed, he actually laughed. “You’re not my father. You stopped being my father when you threatened my little brother, when you first laid a hand on me. Father’s don’t do that to their kids. No, you’re just a spineless drunk who gets his jollies from causing other’s pain.”

John moved so that he was standing right in Dean’s face, only inches apart. It felt like deju vu for Dean. “Dean…”

“No. Sam deserves to know. He deserves to know that you went out and cheated on Mom.”

He saw Sam’s mouth drop, but he kept going. “He deserves to know that you kept seeing this woman until you managed to get her pregnant.”

Dean turned and looked at Sam. “You met Adam, right? One of the new mechanics I hired?”

Sam nodded, his brow furrowing as he waited for Dean to continue. “Well, that’s our little brother. And the kicker is, Adam doesn’t even know. He doesn’t know who is father is and he doesn’t know his boss is really his older brother.”

Dean turned back to John. “Mom doesn’t even know. Mom doesn’t know that her husband, the man she married, the man who is supposed to be loyal and faithful to her, cheated on her and got another woman pregnant. After all the shit you’ve done to this family, you had the nerve to go out and do some more damage. What the hell gives you the right to even call consider us family anymore?”

That was the moment when John snapped. He grabbed the front of Dean’s shirt and threw him against the wall again. “You listen to me, you little shit! You’ve been nothing but ungrateful for everything that I’ve done for you! You know how difficult it was to put up with you for all these years?”

Dean narrowed his eyes. “You really think I should be grateful for having to protect my little brother from my alcoholic, abusive father almost every night for months when I was just a kid? You think I should just smile and be happy to be a part of one big perfect family? Well, you can go straight to hell.”

John’s fist connected with Dean’s jaw, the same place it had earlier at the shop. Dean moved to block his next blow, but Sam was already there. He shoved John away from Dean, almost knocking him to the floor.

Sam stepped in front of Dean, blocking John’s view of his older brother and he lowered his voice to a menacing level. “Don’t you dare lay another finger on my brother. You’ve caused enough pain to this family. I won’t let you cause any more.”

John took a step towards Sam. He wasn’t intimidated by his middle son, even though he should have been since Sam practically towered over him.

“Don’t you get in the middle of this, boy. This is between me and your brother.”

Sam shook his head, “No, not anymore. Dean told me what you did to him when we were kids, what you were going to do to me. I’m not going to just stand by and watch you hurt him or this family anymore.”

Dean stepped up next to Sam. He wanted to make sure he’d be able to get in between him and their father if their father decided to do anything. He would never be able to forgive himself if he let John lay a finger on him after all these years.

That’s when John made a move he would probably regret. He glanced over at Cas and Gabe and made a snap decision. John saw the way Dean kept glancing over at Cas. He saw the fury behind Cas’s eyes. He saw the same fury in Gabe as well.

John moved fast, but not fast enough. Dean had caught on to what he was going to do faster than John had expected. Dean whipped around Sam and bolted for the other side of the room. He jumped over their new coffee table and landed in front of Cas right as John neared him.

John threw out a punch, but it was deflected. Dean threw a punch of his own that landed on John’s jaw, making him stagger back a couple of steps. Dean took the extra couple of steps to stand in front of him again. This time when John went to punch him, Dean grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and then shoved him up against the wall.

He leaned forward and spoke right into John’s ear. “That’s another person you don’t touch. His name is Cas and he’s my boyfriend. Oh, by the way, I’m gay and I really couldn’t care less what you think about it. You see, I live here with my boyfriend and Sam lives in another apartment with _his_ boyfriend. If you have a problem with that, feel free to leave. Or, if you don’t, you can leave anyway.”

John looked at Dean the best he could with being pinned to a wall. “No son of mine is going to be gay, you hear me?”

Dean smiled, “Then it looks like I’m not your son. Now get the hell out of my apartment.”

He released his hold on John and stepped back, blocking John’s view of Cas. He glanced over at Gabe and gestured for him to stand by Sam, just in case. It was a big brother thing. Dean knew that Gabe would protect Sam even though Sam was bigger than him and could take care of himself.

John turned and looked Dean dead in the eye. “How could you do that, Dean? How could you betray me like that? I thought I raised you better.”

Dean almost laughed. “Betray you? You can really say that to me? Get the hell out. Now.”

When he didn’t move, Dean looked over at Gabe where he could see the man’s cell phone sticking out of his pocket. “Gabe, call the cops. Tell them there’s a man here who’s breaking and entering. That he attacked us.”

He turned back to John as Gabe was pulling out his cell phone. John shook his head. “Fine. You win this round, Dean. Don’t think this is over.”

Dean narrowed his eyes and watched as his father walked across the room, grabbed his coat, and left. No one moved for a good two minutes, no one knowing quite what to say or do.

Dean turned around and looked down at Cas. He saw the fury that still burned behind Cas’s eyes. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’s waist, pulled him into him, and buried his face into the crook of Cas’s neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent that was the man he was falling in love with, and tightened his hold on him as he felt Cas’s arms wrap around his shoulders, holding him close.

Sam looked over at his brother, watching as he buried his face into Cas’s neck. He knew they needed some time alone, adjust to what had happened, so he grabbed Gabe’s hand and pulled him towards the door. Gabe nodded, knowing what Sam was doing.

Gabe threw one last look at the couple before closing the door behind them and telling himself that they’d be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! Anyone hate me yet? The rest of the story is all planned out. I don't think it'll be toooo much longer. Who knows. Let me know what you thought!


	12. An End and A Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean decides he needs to tell Adam everything he recently found out. How will Adam take it? Will he completely explode on Dean? Or will John be his outlet? Will he be in danger because of his anger? What will Dean do to prevent his new-found brother from getting hurt?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. I needed a break from it, I guess. Anywho...here is Chapter 12!! Beware...it gets pretty intense..haha!

**Chapter 12**

Dean laid there in bed, thinking. What the hell was he supposed to do? He has another little brother to take care of. Was it inappropriate for Adam to work for him since they were so closely related? Did that mean he had to fire his little brother?

No, it’s a family owned business. That means you can have family working for you. Who was going to tell Adam? Was it really his responsibility to break the news to him? How should he tell him? When should he tell him? What the hell would he say?

Cas rolled over towards Dean and watched as Dean just laid there staring at the ceiling. After Sam and Gabe had left, Cas had convinced Dean to go into the bedroom with him and try to relax. He’d gotten Dean to open up and tell him exactly what had happened between him and his father while they were at the shop.

He’d also gotten Dean to tell him where he’d been for the three hours when no one knew where he was. He hadn’t smelled like alcohol when he’d walked in, so Cas knew he hadn’t gone to a bar.

There was a river just outside of town. Dean confessed to him that whenever he just needed to get away from everything, escape the world for a while and not be found, he’d go to the river, park his baby, climb up onto the hood, and just stare up at the sky. He’d let his mind wander aimlessly, losing track of time. He’d listen to the steady flow of the river, the crickets chirp and the toads croak. No matter what time it was, whether it was night or day. He’d either watch the clouds or the stars, he wasn’t picky.

“Dean.”

Dean finally looked away from the ceiling, down at the beautiful man lying next to him. He attempted a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. “Yeah, Cas?”

“What are you thinking about?”

Dean looked away from him, back up at the ceiling. “Adam.”

Cas nodded, “What are you going to do?”

Dean shook his head, “That’s just the thing. I don’t know. He needs to know, but…is it really my place to be the one to tell him?”

“Well, it’s obvious neither your father nor his mother are willing to tell him. It shouldn’t be Sam because he has only met Sam a couple of times. You are the most reasonable person to tell him.”

Dean sighed, “Okay, but when? What do I say? I can’t just say, ‘Hey, Adam! How’s it goin’? Oh, by the way, my dad cheated on my mom with your mom and made you, so that makes us brothers. There’s a car comin’ in and it has your name on it. Get to work.’ What if he decides he doesn’t want to work there anymore because he’d be working for his older brother? Or if he accuses me of knowing and not telling him.”

“Dean, if he does not wish to work there any longer, than that is his decision. He has no reason to accuse you of anything. You just found out tonight about it. I suggest you tell him tomorrow so that you do not put it off and make it worse for everyone in the long run. You never know, he may love working there and feel more at home knowing his older brother is there too. You will never know until you tell him.”

Dean nodded, “You’re right. Tomorrow morning, I’ll give him a call and have him meet me at the shop. I’ll tell him and…see what happens.”

Cas kissed the side of Dean’s mouth. “That is a wise decision, Dean. I am sure he will take it well.”

Dean turned his head back towards Cas and kissed him on the lips. “I hope you’re right, Cas.”

 

The next morning, Dean made a quick call to Adam while him and Cas were cleaning the kitchen after eating breakfast. When he hung up, he set the phone down on the counter and looked up at Cas. “I’m meeting him there in an hour so I’m going to go take a shower.”

Cas nodded as he scrubbed one of the plates. “I’ll finish up in here. Don’t worry about it.”

He gave Cas a small smile, pecked him on the lips, and left the kitchen to get ready for what he knew would be a very long day.

For the next hour, Dean ran through different approaches. He still hadn’t figured out what the hell he was going to say to the guy. He knew that if he was in Adam’s position, he’d go track down their father and beat the hell out of him. Adam was a good kid though, not that much like Dean. He was more like Sam in a lot of way. Sure, there were the similarities, but…when it came to this, he was more like Sam.

Dean pulled on his boots slowly, still lost in his own mind. He didn’t even hear Cas come up behind him until he felt a hand resting on his back. He looked up at Cas and found him smiling at him softly. “Everything will be okay, Dean. Try not to overthink it.”

Dean snorted, “You should have told me that last night. It’s too late now.”

Cas chuckled and kissed the side of Dean’s head. “He is your brother, Dean. It will be alright.”

Dean smiled, stood, and pulled his angel into his arms. “Thanks, Cas. For everything.”

Cas wrapped his arms around him and breathed in the scent that was Dean. “I will always be here for you, you know that, as I always have been.”

Dean nodded, not sure what to say. When he finally pulled back, he forced a smile onto his face and placed a small kiss on Cas’s lips. “Okay, I’ll be back afterwards. If something comes up, I’ll let you know.”

Cas nodded, “That is fine. I have some papers to grade that I did not get done yesterday, so that is what I will be doing for the majority of the day. Take your time. I will be here when you return. And Dean?”

Dean turned back to Cas before he opened the door, “Yeah, Cas?”

“Good luck.”

Dean smiled, “Thanks. I’ll need it.”

 

Dean pulled up to the shop, slipped his baby into park, pulled the keys, and hopped out. Adam wasn’t there yet, so he unlocked the main door and walked in, turning on some lights. He walked back into his office, figuring Adam would assume that’s where he’d be.

He sat down at his desk, pulled out some paperwork, and got busy on it to distract himself. There was some extra paperwork left over from the day before he hadn’t been able to get to, so he figured he might as well make a dent in it before Monday since he was there.

He had gotten through about a third of it before he head the office door open all the way, he’d left it cracked.

He looked up from the order form he’d been filling out to see Adam standing there looking slightly nervous, not that he could blame him. It’s not very often when your boss calls you into the office on a day when it’s not supposed to be open and it’s only the two of you there.

“Dean? You wanted to see me?”

He set his pen down and sat back. “Yeah, come on in. Have a seat.”

Adam gulped, fearing he was in trouble for something, but did as he was told. He sat in the seat across from Dean’s desk and tried to act nonchalant.

“So…what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Dean gulped, suddenly all of his nerves kicked in now that the conversation was actually happening. He’d been able to get his mind off of it while working on paperwork. It was go time.

“Adam…there’s something I need to tell you.”

Adam’s eyes widened. “I’m not fired, am I? I didn’t think I had done anything wrong…”

Dean looked up, confused. “No, you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re not fired. You’re a really good mechanic and it’d be a really stupid idea to fire you.”

Adam visibly relaxed into his chair, thinking whatever it was that Dean needed to talk to him about couldn’t be worse than being fired.

“You see…Okay, have you ever met a man named John Winchester?”

Adam’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Yeah, he’s a friend of my mom’s. They hang out all the time. Why? How do you know him?”

 _They hang out all the time…_ Dean’s blood started to boil. So, his dad was _still_ cheating on his mom.

“That’s my dad.”

Adam’s eyes widened. “Oh. I had no idea.”

Dean nodded, knowing the kid really had no idea. “Adam…I honestly have no idea how to say this. So, I’m just going to start at the beginning. Let me tell you first though, that I just found this out last night myself. I had absolutely no idea.”

Adam shifted nervously, “Okay…”

Dean took in a deep breath and then launched into his story. “Last night, my dad showed up here saying he needed to talk to me. What he told me…you needed to know.”

He took another breath. “He told me that he cheated on my mom years ago. Nobody else knew except the woman he slept with. He felt that I needed to know because they had a kid together. The kid doesn’t even know John is his father.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “Okay…why are you telling me this? Isn’t this kind of…personal?”

Dean laughed nervously, “Yeah, it is. I’m telling you because…the woman he slept with was your mother. Your father is John Winchester. They didn’t want to tell you, I have no idea why and I didn’t ask because I was in shock at the time.”

Adam’s mouth dropped open and he was speechless for a long moment. “Wait…you’re saying…the man who…practically raised me. The man who is almost always at my house whenever I’m there…he….he’s my father? And they didn’t even tell me?”

Dean nodded, “I know I shouldn’t be the one to tell you this, it should be them. But I know they’re not going to. You deserved to know that and…that’s why I called you in.”

Adam started shaking his head, “That means that you’re my brother? My…my half-brother. Does…Do they know you’re telling me this?”

Dean shrugged, “I have no idea. He didn’t want me to tell anyone, but…we got into a fight. I told Sam and…Dad was furious. We got into a bit…and I told him if he didn’t leave I’d call the cops so who knows what he thinks.”

Adam’s brow furrowed even more. “Wait, what do you mean by that? He’s a good man. Why would you have to call the cops on him?”

Dean looked straight into Adam’s eyes. “He is not a good man, Adam. He may have helped raise you, but that was after…”

Dean looked away, he couldn’t look him in the eye. Adam leaned forward. “After what?”

Dean swallowed, “When I was a kid, he would get drunk and try to hit Sammy. I would step in and…it got worse every time. It went on for months until my mom caught him and called the cops. Last night…last night that side of him came out again. He threatened me, Sammy, and Cas. I wasn’t having any of that, so I told him to leave or I’d call the cops. So he left.”

Adam’s mouth dropped open again. He was not expecting that. The man who had raised him was totally different than that. “He…he abused you?”

Dean looked further away, trying to hide the small blush trying to creep onto his cheeks. “Dean…” That’s when Adam really noticed the bruises on Dean’s face. He’d been too worried about being fired and then about what Dean was saying to really take in his appearance.

“Dean, are those bruises…are they from him?”

Dean nodded, “Yeah. He tried to get the best of me, but I didn’t back down. Not this time. Not after all these years. I’m strong enough to take him now, so I did. But, that’s not the point. The point is-.”

“The point is this man, the man who raised me…he’s been lying to me my entire life. Him and my mom. They knew all along and they never told me. And that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is he is a monster. Who can even be _capable_ of beating their own child?! That…that is wrong on so many levels. No, I’m not putting up with this shit any longer.”

Adam suddenly stood and started out of the office in a hurry. Dean jumped to his feet. “Adam! Adam, where are you going?”

Without turning around, Adam called over his shoulder, “To do what should have been done a long ass time ago!”

Dean froze. He was terrified for what that meant. Finally snapping out of it, he grabbed his keys off his desk and ran out of the office. As he went, he somehow remembered to shut off the lights and lock up, knowing Adam would be gone before he would be able to stop him.

He jumped into his baby, fired the engine, and flew out of the parking lot. He turned his baby towards home, knowing that Adam’s mom, Kate, lived only a couple of streets over from his house.

When he was about halfway there, he remembered he needed to call Cas. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the second number he had on speed dial. It rang twice before Cas’s voice came over the line.

“Hello?”

“Cas! Cas, listen to me. You need to call Sam. Tell him he needs to get his ass home, _now._ ”

“Dean, what is going on? What happened?”

“I told Adam everything. He wasn’t pissed until I told him…about my past. He asked where the bruises came from and I couldn’t lie to him. He said John was a good man, and I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut. He flew out of there saying he was going to do what should have been done a long time ago. I know exactly what he’s going to do and it’s not good.”

Cas paused before replying, “I’m coming too. Where are you?”

“I’m about twenty minutes outside of town. I couldn’t wait in case he gets hurt.”

“I understand, Dean. I will call Sam and explain everything. We will be there as soon as we can. Be careful, Dean.”

The line went dead and Dean knew Cas understood the urgency of the situation. He hit the gas a little more, anxious to get there before something really bad happened.

 

When Dean finally pulled up to Kate Milligan’s house, Adam’s car was parked out front along with John’s. He jumped out of the car and bolted towards the house. He didn’t bother knocking and went straight in.

As soon as he walked in, he heard the voices. They were shouting from the kitchen. Dean had been in the house once before, dropping something off years ago. It had been when Kate was pregnant and his mom had made a care package. He’d dropped it off for her since Mary had had to work late.

He followed the voices and found Adam staring down John while Kate hovered nearby. She looked up as he walked in and her eyes widened.

Dean looked between his father and his brother. John finally noticed him walk in and turned to glare at him. “You little shit. I told you not to tell anyone! I figured you’d tell Sam, but this was none of your damn business!”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “None of my business? He’s my brother! He deserved to know. You were too much of a chicken shit to man up and tell him so someone had to.”

John shook his head, “It wasn’t your place to be the one to tell him. That’s for his parents to tell him.”

Dean nodded, “You’re right. It’s their responsibility as his parents to tell him, but neither of them had the nerve to, so it was up to me. Now, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think about it. I really couldn’t care less. He deserves to know and now he knows. End of story.”

John shook his head again, taking a step closer to Dean. Dean held his ground, but Adam was still fired up and took a step in between the two men. “No. Dean told me what you did to him when he was a kid. There’s no way you’re trying again.”

Kate’s head snapped up and her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about, Adam?”

He looked at her with an extremely pissed off expression on his face. “What? He didn’t tell you he likes to beat up his children? Did that manage to slip while you were having an affair with him while his wife lives a couple of blocks over?”

Her head snapped towards John. “What is he talking about?”

He ignored her, glaring at Dean. “I see you’ve been filling your brother’s head with lies already.”

Dean huffed, “Yeah, you know me. I lie about the bruises that can be clearly seen on my face. Sorry, Adam, what really happened was I beat myself up so that I could come up with some lame ass story to tell you. Sorry about that.”

John took another step towards him. Kate was getting furious. “How could you? He is your _son!_ How could you lay one finger on him? How long did it go on?”

This time she was directing the question at Dean, knowing she wouldn’t get an answer out of John. “A few months.”

“ _Months?!_ John! How…Who the hell _are_ you?!”

John turned towards her, “I’m still the same man. I’m still me.”

She shook her head, backing away from him. “No, you’re not. I thought you were a good man. Good men don’t beat their children. You get the hell out of my house and don’t ever come back.”

John’s eyes narrowed and he stepped towards her, “Kate, you don’t mean that.”

“Yes, actually, I do. Now leave or I’ll call the cops. I will not have you around my son any longer.”

John’s temper was flaring and it was being directed at the wrong person. Dean started inching towards Kate, trying to get closer in case he needed to step in. Adam saw what he was doing and started to do the same thing.

“Kate, that’s the wrong move and you know it. They’re lying. I would never do that to a child. Let alone my own.”

She shook her head, “Then where did the bruises on his face come from?”

“He’s a faggot. He probably got beat up for holding his boyfriend’s hand in public.”

Her eyes narrowed, as did Dean’s. He couldn’t take it any longer. He walked forward, grabbed John’s shoulder, spun him around, and slammed his fist directly into his noise. Blood started pouring out immediately after a satisfactory crunch was heard throughout the room. Dean didn’t stop there. His other fist went into John’s gut, causing him to double over.

“Don’t you _ever_ call me that again, you hear me?”

Kate’s eyes were wide as saucers. Adam grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. Dean vaguely heard him telling her to get out of the house and call the cops before he sensed Adam standing behind him.

John looked up at Dean and grinned. “Looks like the little faggot boy has some fight in him after all. I would have thought that sleeping with your little boyfriend would make you weak. Oh wait, it has.”

Dean slammed his fist into John’s jaw. John just let him, he wasn’t throwing any blocks. It was too easy.

“Do you hit Cas the same way you’re hitting me? The same way I hit you where you were little? I bet you do. I bet you’re just like me.”

Dean was furious. His vision was practically red. “I am _nothing_ like you.”

John laughed in his face. “Oh really? You could have fooled me.”

Dean forced himself to take a deep breath. He wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t worth the anger or the pain.

Dean turned and walked back towards Adam. “Come on, Adam. He’s not worth it.”

“You’re scared. You’re walking away like a little douche. Come on and fight me like a real man! Oh, wait…you’re not one.”

Dean ground his teeth together, but kept walking. Adam was right ahead of him. Then Dean heard the sound of metal and then a knife embedded itself into the wall right next to his head.

He spun around to see John equipping himself with another knife from the rack. “I thought that might get your attention.”

“Why can’t you just leave me the hell alone?”

John smiled and started walking towards him. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Dean shook his head and looked towards Adam. “Get out of here. I’ll handle him.”

Adam shook his head, “No, I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

“Aw, look at that. Your little brother is more of a man than you are. That must really sting, Dean.”

Dean’s fists clenched together. “I’m more of a man than you will ever be.”

At those words, John’s eyes narrowed and he lunged for Dean. Dean was able to move out of the way, but not before the knife John was carrying sliced open his left arm. Dean had had to dive to the right in order to get away fast enough. Now he was separated from Adam, John standing in between them.

He could feel a trickle of blood slide down his arm, but he ignored it. He knew it wasn’t deep enough to be life threatening, so he didn’t worry about it.

“Is that how you get your jollies? By attacking your sons?”

John faced Dean with a menacing smile on his face. “It worked all those years ago. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work now.”

Dean felt sick to his stomach. His father actually _enjoyed_ abusing him. He really was a monster.

He shook his head disgusted at his father. Before he knew what was happening, John lunged for him again. This time he didn’t have enough time to get out of the way. The only thing behind him was a glass door and they both went straight through it. Dean landed on his back with John on top of him. The knife John had been carrying flew out of his hand when they landed.

All of the air had been pushed out of Dean’s lungs when his father had landed on top of him. He could feel pieces of glass embedding themselves into his back. There was a knot forming on the back of his head where his head had slammed against the wood deck, sending stars across his vision.

He couldn’t do anything, but lay there for a moment and try to gather his bearings. John gathered his first and started reaching towards the knife. Dean started to struggle against him, knocked the knife out of his reach.

Adam jumped over them, dived for the knife, and got it just before John was able to grasp it. John practically snarled at his youngest son, pushing off of Dean, and standing up. Dean saw the look in his eyes and knew that he was about to go for the knife.

He kicked his leg out, wrapped it around John’s legs, and brought him back down to his knees. John’s fist connected with Dean’s stomach and he curled in on himself slightly, fighting down the wave of nausea.

John turned back to Adam and focused on him, assuming Dean wouldn’t attack again. He was wrong. Dean kicked out and landed a blow to John’s chest, sending him backwards into the side of the house. Dean scrambled to his feet before John could land another blow. He rushed towards Adam, but John was already getting back up onto his feet.

John was faster. He wrapped his arm around Dean’s throat and pulled him up against his body. He tightened his hold on his neck, almost closing off Dean’s airway. Dean pulled in as much air as he could, hoping it wouldn’t be his last.

“Let him go!”

Dean looked up at Adam, fearing what was about to happen. John laughed, “And why the hell would I do that?”

“Because I have a knife and the cops are on their way.”

“Well, I have your brother and I could kill him by snapping his neck before you would be able to use that knife and long before the cops show up.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed. They connected with Dean’s for a split second before meeting John’s again. “You don’t want to kill him. You want to hurt him. You want to cause him pain. If you kill him, you don’t have another punching bag.”

“Oh, on the contrary, I have two more. You and your older brother, Sam. Besides, this punching bag is starting to get old. It’s not as much fun.”

“Oh, so it’s only fun when they don’t fight back?”

John grinned, “Exactly. Well, they can throw a couple of swings to create a challenge, but…we can’t get carried away, now can we?”

“Let him go. You can use me as a punching bag. Just let him go.”

The arm around Dean’s neck tightened, closing off his airway completely. Dean started gasping for breath and not being able to get any air into his lungs. His face was turning red from lack of oxygen.

Adam was starting to panic. “I’ll drop the knife if you let him go!”

Dean sent him a look, telling him not to do it, but he ignored it. John tilted his head to the side. Dean’s vision was starting to tunnel and he could feel himself slipping. “Fine. You first.”

Adam saw Dean’s eyes start to roll and he immediately dropped the knife. The arm around Dean’s neck loosened, allowing air to whoosh into Dean’s lungs. He choked on the sudden ample supply of oxygen. John’s arm had only loosened, it hadn’t let go completely. Dean knew he wasn’t going to let him go. There was no chance.

Adam must have known too, but his options had been severely limited.

As soon as Dean could function properly again as well as breath, he looked up at Adam and saw the worry and panic in his eyes. Adam had no clue what to do. He was only a kid.

It was at that moment that Dean decided he didn’t care what happened to him, as long as Adam made it out alive and okay. If it meant him going down with his father, then that’s the way it was going to work. Dean would rather sacrifice himself than allow his father to hurt his little brother, either of his little brothers.

Dean took in a deep breath, preparing himself for the fury of action that was about to happen. When he was ready, he moved as quickly as he could with an arm wrapped around his neck.

He shifted his weight to his right leg, wrapped his left leg back around and between John’s legs. He secured his leg before quickly throwing all of his weight backwards while using his left leg to drive his father’s legs forward.

He’d been gripping his father’s arm tightly so when they started to go down, he let go with his left arm and slammed his elbow into John’s face, not really caring where it landed as long as it winded the man.

They both toppled backwards and crashed through a table. Dean didn’t waste time acknowledging the pain. Instead, he pushed it to the back of his mind for later as he scrambled to get to his feet.

Once he had enough leverage, he twisted around and slammed his fist into John’s face over and over and over and over again. He let his fist fly repeatedly, not caring about the damage. He didn’t stop until John’s form slackened and stayed that way. With one last punch, he got to his feet shakily.

Dean looked up at Adam and gestured for them to both go inside. They walked in silence, neither knowing what to say. They made it as far as the kitchen counter when they heard crunching glass behind them.

Dean spun around and saw John standing there, blooding rushing down his face and brandishing a wicked smile. He had the knife in his hands. The knife that Adam hadn’t bothered to pick up because they figured he was unconscious.

John moved quickly, as if to throw the knife directly at one of his sons, but he wasn’t fast enough. A very loud bang sounded through the air. It echoed off the walls in the house. Dean grabbed Adam by the arm and pulled him sideways onto the floor, out of the way of the bullets.

They looked up as blood gushed out of a fresh wound on John’s chest. John looked down at the wound in shock before falling to his knees. The bullet had landed right next to his heart, not enough to kill him instantly, but not far away enough to allow him to survive.

John looked up and his eyes met Dean’s. John shook his head, knowing what was coming next as he leaned sideways into the wall and slid down until he was sitting all the way, not moving his eyes. “The damage is done. I’ll see you in Hell, boy.”

Dean shook his head as a small smile came to his face. “No, you won’t. All these years I thought I was going directly down there with you, but Cas is right. I’m a good man and I’m not going to Hell. Have fun being the devil’s chew toy.”

A look of anger passed through John’s eyes before they glassed over and became distant. Both boys knew that he was dead without even moving to check his pulse. They were still laying on the floor when the man who had shot their father walked through the door into the kitchen.

Dean looked up and saw it had been a cop. They had arrived just in time to see John raise the knife to throw at them and save their lives.

“Thank you.”

The man nodded before walking over to make sure John was dead. It was an odd thing to thank someone for killing their father, but in this case it wasn’t that odd.

Adam stood and pulled Dean to his feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I’m sure Mom is freaking out.”

Dean followed Adam out of the house, his body kind of numb in a way. He wasn’t sure how he should feel. Should he be sad that his father is dead? Should he be happy that the abuse and frustration is over? There were so many conflicting emotions running through his mind, he didn’t know what to do.

“Dean! Dean!”

Dean lifted his head to see Cas, Sam, and Gabe running over to them. He couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips as Cas’s body slammed into his. Cas’s arms circled his neck and he held on as tightly as he dared.

“Dean, I was so worried. I felt the fight in the car and I made them drive faster. We got here as soon as we could. Dean, are you okay?”

Dean pulled back and looked at Cas. “Yeah, baby, I’m fine.”

He placed a soft kiss to Cas’s lips before looking up at Sam. “Dad’s dead. He can’t hurt us anymore.”

Sam’s mouth dropped open, not exactly expecting that to come out of his mouth. “What happened, Dean?”

Dean looked over at Adam and sent him a look for him to tell the story, so he did. Adam gave them every detail, even the details before Dean had shown up. He told the group about how Dean and John had fought, how they had gone through the glass door, Dean nearly suffocating, the repeated blows to John’s face delivered by Dean’s fist, the knife, and then finally the bullet that ended it all.

The group was shocked into silence. Thankfully, a cop had been standing right behind Adam and Dean throughout the entire story and had written it all down, that way there was no need to repeat it for the statement.

Cas looked up at Dean and frowned. “You need to get checked out. Let’s get you over to the ambulance.”

Dean didn’t resist like he usually would. He was just happy that Cas was standing next to him and he was perfectly okay.

Dean looked up at Adam. “I expect to see you on Monday. Bright and early.”

Adam smiled and nodded, “I’ll be there, boss.”

Dean smiled and let Cas drag him away from his newfound brother as Adam went to find his mom.

The paramedics looked Dean over. They pulled some fragments of glass out of his back, bandaged up his arm where the knife had cut him, and checked him for a concussion, which he did have. There was no need for him to go to the hospital as it was only a mild concussion and some cuts that they were able to take care of on the scene.

Dean stood and wrapped his arm around Cas’s waist, pulling him towards the impala. Sam and Gabe caught up to them and walked towards their cars together.

Dean looked at his little brother holding hands with Gabe and smiled. He was so happy for them. As long as Sammy was happy, he was happy.

He looked down at Cas and his smile grew. His eyes shone as the happiness nearly overwhelmed him. He pressed a soft kiss onto Cas’s temple.

“Let’s go home, baby.”

Cas looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, Dean.”

“I love you too, angel.”

Sam smiled at his big brother and Cas. “Dean…”

Dean looked over at him before sliding into the passenger seat of the impala. He figured he’d let Cas drive since his energy level was dropping like a stone given all the adrenaline he’d used up.

“Yeah, Sammy?”

“It’s over…It’s finally over.”

Dean nodded and smiled, “Yeah. It’s about damn time.”

They slid into the impala as Sam and Gabe got into their car. They were on their way home to start a new chapter without the abuse, the frustration, the anger, the resentment, but best of all…without the fear. For Sam and Dean Winchester, Cas and Gabriel Novak…

It was finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo....that is the end. BUT!!! There will be an epilogue because I cannot just leave the destiel there. I simply cannot and will not. SO! I already have it completely planned out and know exactly what will happen and how it will happen and you will all love it. Stay tuned!


	13. Epilogue: Finally Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue. Dean is finally happy. But Why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...this is the last time I'll ever be updating this story...that is extremely sad...For all of my readers, thank you so much for supporting this story and giving me ideas when I needed them...everything. Just thank you so much for being awesome! I honestly cried when I typed the last sentence to this story. I really did. I'm going to miss this story...On a happier note, it'll give me more time and energy to continue with my other stories that I so desperately need to continue.

**Chapter 13**

**One year later…**

Dean’s hands were shaking slightly as he paced the living room in his mom’s house. Jo rolled her eyes. “Would you stop pacing? Everything’s going to be fine. Cas, Gabe, and Sam will be here soon. Bobby’s out back with the rest of them. Everything’s good to go.”

Dean stopped pacing and looked at her. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

She got to her feet and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Dean, do you love him? With all of your heart?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

She shook her head, “No buts! You love him and he loves you. That’s all there is to it. You guys have been together for a year now.”

Dean nodded, “Yeah. A year today.”

Jo smiled, “Exactly. Remember? That’s why we’re all here. It’s your one year anniversary. Everything is going to be just fine. You just have to take some deep breaths and calm down. We’re all here for you.”

Dean nodded again, “You’re right. I don’t know why I’m being so paranoid. He loves me. Of course he loves me.”

Jo’s smile widened. “There we go! That’s my Dean. Okay, do you want to go through it again one last time before they get here or just get your mind off of everything now and go grab a beer?”

“Beer. Definitely beer.”

She snorted and took a step back. “Okay, let’s go grab ourselves a cold one before the party really begins.”

They walked out of the living room and found Mary in the kitchen pulling dishes out of the oven. Mary looked up at her oldest son and smiled. “Hey, Dean, would you mind giving me a quick hand with these? There’s one dish that needs to go in, one dish that needs to be finished, and one that needs to come out.”

He nodded and moved over to the stove, grabbed an oven mitt, and pulled out the dish that was done. He set it carefully on the counter before grabbing the dish to go in and placing it on the rack. He shut the oven door, turned, and got started on finished up the last dish.

Jo walked over to the fridge and grabbed two beers. She popped the tops off of both of them, slid one over to Dean and took a swig of her own. She smiled at the taste before pulling out her phone and sending a quick text to Sam, asking how long until they got there.

Mary smiled at Dean. She loved seeing the happiness in him that had done nothing but grown over the last year since his father had…passed away. She remembered that day very clearly. She’d come home from work and found Sam and Gabe standing in her kitchen.

Sam had introduced them before diving into the story of how they found out about Adam and then about John’s passing. She hadn’t been shocked about Adam, not in the slightest. She’d suspected that someone was going on, but with everyone she’d already had to go through with her husband, she couldn’t find it within herself to care what he did.

And when she’d learned of his death, she wasn’t sad. That part had scared her for a moment until she realized just how much pain he’d conflicted on their family. Then she was happy he was gone and could no longer hurt any of them again. Sam had told her that Dean had gone back home with Cas, needing some time with his boyfriend after the day he’d had. She had understood completely.

Once she had finally met Cas, she had become attached to him. Mary saw the way her son and Cas looked at each other, how close they stood, the happiness that radiated off of them. Whatever made Dean happy, made her happy. He deserved all the happiness he could get after the life he’d had to live.

She smiled as her memories of Cas popped into her mind. She remembered hearing Gabe tell him he looked like a holy tax accountant in his tan trench coat and the suit he wears for school. She remembered seeing him and Dean have an eating contest and go through two bags of burgers before he couldn’t eat anymore. There were so many fond memories she’d built of that man since she had met him.

After John had died, Mary decided it was time to sell the house and she moved closer to her boys. She wanted to be as close to them as possible without smothering them. They were her only family now. Besides Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Cas, Gabe, and Adam. She considered Adam an adopted son as her and Kate had connected and gotten closer over the course of a couple of months.

Mary snapped out of her memories as she heard the front door open and close. Dean’s head snapped up and he almost dropped the knife he’d been using to cut carrots.

“Careful, Dean! I know how upset you’d be if you cut your finger off and we’d have to rush you to the hospital on your anniversary.”

Dean blushed slightly and returned his concentration back on the carrots. He was trying not to slice his finger open accidentally, but he was getting more and more nervous.

Sam walked into the kitchen with a grin plastered to his face. He grabbed three beers and handed two to the men standing behind him out of sight.

“Dean.”

Dean looked up as Cas came into sight and he couldn’t help the smile that plastered itself to his face. “Hey, baby.”

Cas walked over to him and placed a soft kiss to his lips. He pulled back and smiled up at Dean. “I thought we were going out tonight.”

Dean’s smile widened. “There’s been a slight change in plans, hope you don’t mind. I think you’ll like these plans better though.”

Cas raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. He knew that Dean would never tell him what was going on before it was time for him to know. That was the way Dean was.

“Everyone’s out back if you want to go say hi.”

Cas’s brow raised even further. “By everyone you mean…?”

“Adam, Bobby, Ellen, Ash, and Charlie.”

Cas blinked at him. “Dean, what is going on? Why is everyone here?”

Dean’s smile turned into a smirk. “You’ll find out soon enough. Now supper will be done in about half an hour.”

Cas nodded as he left Dean to finish with what he was doing. He walked outside, taking Gabriel with him, and started talking to their friends. It was just longer than half an hour when Mary appeared in the doorway and called everyone in for supper.

The table was set and all the food was sitting in the middle of the long dining table Mary had set up to fit everyone.

They all sat down around the table and started piling food onto their plates. Everyone, minus Cas, was aware of why they were all there and so the table was buzzing with excitement. None of them could stop talking as the time came closer and closer. Dean’s nerves had started back up again as he finished with his second plate.

He was going over and over again what he was planning on doing. He felt someone kick him under the table and he looked up to see Jo giving him a look telling him to stop freaking out.

He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his beer to try and calm his nerves.

Dean felt a hand slide onto his thigh and squeeze softly. He looked over and saw Cas smiling at him lovingly. He couldn’t help but lean over and press a soft, small kiss to his lips before pulling away. He whispered so that no one else could hear them. “I love you so much, Cas. How the hell did I get so lucky?”

Cas’s smile widened. “I think it was I who got lucky.”

Dean shook his head incredulously. He was one lucky guy.

 

An hour later, after the dishes were cleaned, the table was wiped down, and everyone wasn’t as full, Dean walked away from the group, pulling Cas with him. He didn’t want a big crowd, but he knew that when they heard them, they’d probably sneak in.

Dean threw a look over at Jo, letting her know it was show time. She nodded and jumped off the chair she was sitting in and all but bolted for the living room. He chuckled and rolled his eyes. She had more energy than he did.

“Dean, where are we going?”

He smiled down at the man he loved. “We’re going into the living room. Jo and I have a surprise for you.”

Cas’s head tilted to the side, but he let Dean drag him away. They walked into the living room and Dean walked over to the piano that was in the corner of the room, facing away from the way they had just come.

Dean sat down on the bench and patted the spot next to him, gesturing for Cas to sit next to him. When Cas sat down, Jo appeared on the other side of the piano with a guitar in her lap. He was getting really suspicious now, but he didn’t say anything.

Dean looked at him with the most loving smile on his face. “Happy anniversary, Cas. I love you with all of my heart.”

Cas smiled softly at him, but before he could tell Dean he loved him back, Dean placed his fingers on the keys and began to play. At first it was just him playing. Jo didn’t come in at first.

 _If I had my way,_  
I'd spend every day right by your side  
And if I could stop time,  
Believe me I'd try for you and I

Jo started playing harmony to Dean’s melody. Cas couldn’t help the smile that radiated from his face at hearing Dean sing. He knew it was meant for him and it made him love Dean even more, if that was possible.

 _And each moment you're gone,_  
Is a moment to long in my life  
So stay right here, right now

Jo started to sing along with Dean. He would sing a line and she would sing in the background. Cas had no idea that Jo could sing. It made it even more beautiful than he could have imagined.

 _'Cause without you I'm a disaster_  
(the moment you go)  
And you're my ever after  
(Just thought you should know)  
'Cause I need to know your answer  
(Just say you'll stay with me)  
I want you to say you're gonna stay with me  
(Just say you'll stay with me)  
I die every day that you're away from me

Cas’s eyes began to tear up a little. He was absolutely speechless. He had had no idea that Dean was going to serenade him and he couldn’t be more happy. He’d never been as happy as he was in that moment with Dean and Jo singing to him.

 _If the world ceased to spin,_  
You could start it again with just one smile  
If the seas turn to sand  
With the wave of your hand it would rain for miles  
But the thought of you gone,  
Makes everything wrong in my life  
So stay right here, right now

The words struck Cas hard. He was listening to them very carefully. He’d never heard the song before so he guessed that Dean had written it for him. That thought alone was enough to bring tears to his eyes and make his heart swell three sizes.

 _'Cause without you I'm a disaster_  
(the moment you go)  
And you're my ever after  
(Just thought you should know)  
'Cause I need to know your answer  
(Just say you'll stay with me)  
I want you to say you're gonna stay with me  
(Just say you'll stay with me)  
I die every day that you're away from me

A thought hit Cas hard. One of the lines was about an answer. Was Dean…? Was he asking him the question he thought he was asking him? Could that be true or just Cas’s hopefulness getting the best of him?

 _My heart breaks with every beat,_  
I can't explain what you do to me  
So just say you'll promise me,  
Please, take me if you ever leave  
But the thought of you gone  
Makes everything wrong in my life  
So stay right here, right now

Dean looked up from the keys and his eyes locked with Cas’s. He wasn’t nervous anymore. He’d practiced the song a thousand times and could play it blindfolded if he had to, he knew that. Dean’s eyes looked straight down to Cas’s soul. The first thing Cas noticed was that he had tears in his eyes as well.

It pushed Cas over the edge and a tear made its way down his cheek, making Dean smile and almost fumble over a word, but he caught himself in time for his voice not to break.

 _'Cause without you I'm a disaster_  
(the moment you go)  
And you're my ever after  
(Just thought you should know)  
'Cause I need to know your answer  
(Just say you'll stay with me)  
I want you to say you're gonna stay with me  
(Just say you'll stay with me)  
I die every day that you're away from me

A tear escaped and made its way down Dean’s cheek and his throat threatened to close up, but he wouldn’t allow that to happen. He had to make it through the song. He could feel his heart pounding and swelling at the same time. The look of sheer untainted love that poured out of Cas’s eyes was enough to have him on his knees. He didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost this man. He would be nothing without him.

 _So just say you'll promise me,_  
Please, take me if you ever leave  
My heart breaks with every beat,  
I die every day that you're away from me

As the song ended and room fell into silence, Dean reached a hand into his pocket and pulled something out that Cas couldn’t quite see. They didn’t look away from each other, too wrapped up in the song still to really move.

“Cas…you mean the world to me. It’s because of you that I’m even alive and breathing. I don’t know how many times you’ve pulled me out of the dark, gave me a reason to fight. You’ve always been there for me, even when no one else could. I don’t know what I would ever do without you. I love you with all of my heart…with all of my soul.”

Dean choked on his words as another tear escaped and slid down his cheek. He reached out and grabbed Cas’s hand and rubbed light circles into the back of it with his thumb to help him get through it.

“Cas…we’ve spent the last year of our lives together. We’ve been through hell and back and lived to laugh about it. We’ve overcome so much together. I promised you that I will always be there for you no matter what, and I have always kept that promise and I always will. What we have…is real. The way I feel about you I have never felt for someone else and I never will. My heart belongs to you whether you accept it or not.”

Dean’s hand tightened around Cas’s as the moment finally came. He set a little black velvet box on his knee and opened it with one hand, turning it to face Cas. Cas didn’t look at it. He knew what was inside so he continued to stare deep into Dean’s eyes as he started talking again.

“Castiel, if…if you accept…I want to marry you and start a life with you as your husband.”

Another tear rolled down Cas’s cheek as a smile broke out onto his face. He didn’t even hesitate with his answer. “Of course I accept, Dean. I want nothing more than to marry you.”

Cas didn’t know if he’d ever seen that big of a smile on Dean’s face before, but he loved every inch of it.

Dean’s lips crashed on Cas’s in a kiss filled with love. Cas felt something cool slip onto his finger and broke away from Dean to look down and see a thin silver band on his left ring finger.

“Happy anniversary, angel.”

Cas’s face lit up. “Happy anniversary, Dean.”

They heard clapping and cheering coming from behind them and they both turned to see everyone standing at the other end of the living room. Every one of them had huge smiles on their faces.

Dean looked back at Cas and grabbed his head. “Come on, let’s celebrate.”

As they stood, Cas looked over at Jo who also had tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Jo. That was very beautiful.”

Her smile widened and Dean looked down with an expression of fake hurt. “Oh, so you thank her! I did most of the work! In fact, I was the one who wrote it!”

Cas couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. He felt almost hysterical with happiness. “Thank you, Dean. It truly was magical.”

Dean’s face softened and he placed a soft kiss on his lips before pulling him towards their crowd. Sam walked up first and hugged Dean. “Congratulations, Dean! Both of you. You deserve this.”

They broke away and the two brothers smiled at each other before Sam sent a smile Cas’s way and hugged him too. Next in line was Gabe who looked sternly at Dean. “Now, remember what I told you a year ago?”

“If I hurt him, you hurt me?”

A huge grin erupted onto his face. “You got it! Congrats, buddy!”

Dean rolled his eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Gabe hugged Cas, quite tightly, almost suffocating the poor man.

Bobby pulled Dean in for one of the rare hugs they shared. “Congratulations, son. It’s about damn time!”

Dean pulled away and snorted. “You’ve been saying that for a year. You do realize that, right?”

Bobby smiled at him, “Of course I do! I’ve been saying that your whole life!”

Dean laughed and was pulled in for another hug by Ellen who had tears in her eyes. “I’m so happy for you, Dean. Cas is the best man you could ever have picked.”

“I know, Ellen. He’s pretty special.”

Ellen smiled as she pulled away and went for a hug from Cas. The hugs and congratulations kept coming. Mary was the last one in line and she placed her hand on Dean’s cheek, looking up at him.

“You are so much more of a man than your father ever was. I am so proud of who you are and what you’ve done with your life. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Congratulations, Dean. I know you’re going to be so happy with Cas. I love you so much.”

Dean wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight. “I love you too, Mom. Thank you for everything.”

She shook her head. “Don’t thank me. Thank your angel for watching over you.”

He pulled away from her and looked at Cas with so much love in his eyes. As Mary stepped away, he whispered so she couldn’t hear, “Thanks, Cas.”

The returning smile was just as bright. “You are very welcome, Dean.”

 A loud pop filled the air and they all turned to see Gabe with a bottle in his hands. “Who wants champagne?”

 

**Eight Months Later…**

Dean stared at his reflection, his hands shaking as he straightened his tie for the tenth time. Sam chuckled and stepped up next to him. “Dean, relax. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“What if he gets cold feet and doesn’t want to go through with it anymore? What if he found someone else?”

Sam rolled his eyes as he fixed Dean’s crooked tie. “Relax. There is no way in hell Cas could find someone else, someone who’s not you. And there’s no way in hell he wouldn’t want to go through with it. He loves you, man. He’ll be there.”

Dean took a deep breath. He knew he was over reacting, but he couldn’t help it. His nerves were practically singing.

Sam looked down at him with a smile. “Your hands are shaking.”

He stepped away from Dean, only to be back a few seconds later. He shoved something cold into his hand. Dean looked down and saw a beer in his hand, the top already off.

“Go on, drink it. It’ll help with your nerves. One beer won’t hurt.”

Dean figured it was worth a shot and down the beer in almost one go. Sam rolled his eyes and sat back down on the bed. “I don’t think I have ever seen you this nervous.”

Dean looked at him and used Sam’s classic bitchface. “It’s my wedding day, Sam. I’m allowed to be nervous.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, I get that. I do. I just think it’s kind of funny.”

It was Dean’s turn to roll his eyes. “You just wait until your wedding day. We’ll see how nervous you are then.”

Sam looked panicked for a moment before his face returned to normal. “Yeah, I guess.”

Dean looked at him, his brow raising. “What’s that all about?”

Sam shook his head, “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Dean was about to push when the door opened and Mary walked in. Her face lit up when she saw her boys in their tux’s. “You two look so handsome! We’re definitely getting pictures of just you two later.”

Both of them rolled their eyes, but couldn’t help the smiles that appeared on their faces. Mary stepped up to Dean and straightened his jacket. “Nervous?”

“You have no idea.”

Mary chuckled, “Oh, I don’t know about that. I was married once too, you know.”

He nodded, looking back at the mirror and studying his reflection. The doubts were back in his mind, he couldn’t make them stop.

“Dean, stop worrying. Everything will be fine. I’ve already went to see Cas and he’s as nervous as you are. You two are definitely meant for each other, believe me.”

Dean looked down at her with a soft smile on his face. “Thanks, Mom. For everything.”

She looked up and tears gathered in her eyes. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry and here you are making me cry!”

He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug as a tear slipped down her cheek. “My little boy’s getting married…I still can’t believe it.”

His arms tightened around her to reassure her. “I bet you never thought your son would be marrying a dude though, huh?”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “Actually, I’ve known since you were little. Every night when I was home before I went to bed, I’d walk into your room to check on you, make sure everything was okay. There were a lot of nights where you would mumble a name. And I’ve known ever since.”

Dean’s brow furrowed. “You never told me that. What did I say?”

Her face beamed as she looked up at him. “You would say Cas.”

 

Cas raked his hand through his hair again, sighing in frustration. Gabe appeared next to him, munching on a kit kat. “What’s up, baby brother? Why are you attacking your hair?”

“What if Dean changes his mind? What if he wants to call it all off?”

Gabe stopped mid-crunch and just looked at his little brother for a moment. “You do realize what you’re freaking out about, right? I mean, the guy wrote you a song and sang it to you with his best friend as a proposal. I don’t think you get much luckier than that.”

Cas sighed. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he was so nervous he couldn’t help it. “Gabriel…what if-.”

“No. No what if’s. Dean loves you more than he loves anyone, even Sammy. He loves you with all of his heart, you know that. There’s no way he’s backing out. He loves you too much to be that stupid.”

Cas rolled his eyes and straightened his tie. “You’re right. I’m just nervous.”

Gabe nodded and walked away from him for a moment. He returned and slipped something into his hand. “Here. Drink that. It’ll help you relax.”

Cas looked down and found a beer in his hand, the top already off. “Gabriel, I cannot drink a beer before I get married.”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Sure you can! It’s just one beer, little brother! It’s not going to get you drunk. It’s just going to settle your nerves a little. I can almost guarantee you that Dean will be drinking one too. You know how nervous he gets.”

Cas took a breath and then downed the beer. Gabriel was right, it would help his nerves. When he was finished with it, he set it on the table and began fixing his hair.

The door opened behind them and they heard a giggle. “Cas, you have sex hair. I thought I told Dean to stay in his own room before it was time.”

Cas looked at her through the mirror. “He has not been here, Jo. I got frustrated and ran my hands through it.”

She giggled again and walked up to him. She fixed it for him as much as was possible. “There. You look very handsome. Cas, your hands are shaking.”

He looked down at his hands and they were, in fact, shaking. “I’m just nervous.”

She nodded and fixed his coat. “Don’t worry. Dean’s as nervous as you are. From what I hear, Sam talked him into downing a beer to settle his nerves.”

Gabe’s face lit up, “See! What’d I tell you?”

Jo cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “Okay, are you ready? You look ready. Let’s get going.”

Cas took a deep breath before following her and Gabe out of the room.

 

Dean took a deep breath. He was twirling his thumbs to stop his hands from shaking. Sam rested a hand on his arm, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Dude, relax. Seriously. If Cas sees you this nervous, he may get the wrong idea.”

Dean glanced at his little brother. “There are a lot of people here, Sam. I’m not good with crowds.”

Sam looked over at the rows of people. It was a fairly small wedding, but there were enough people to get Dean’s nerves going again.

“Just…imagine them in their underwear.”

Dean looked at him and used his bitchface again. “Really, Sam? The underwear trick doesn’t work.”

Sam shrugged his shoulders. “It worked for me in sixth grade when I had to give a report in front of the class.”

“That was sixth grade, not your wedding day.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Dean took another deep breath. He could do this. He could do this. Once Cas was there, he’d have his back to the people. He wouldn’t have to look at them again for a while. He was marrying Cas. He was marrying the love of his life. There was nothing to be nervous about.

 

Cas bounced slightly from one foot to the other. It was almost time for them to start walking down the aisle. He knew that Dean was down there waiting because Gabe had spied for him just to make sure.

Gabe pulled Cas in for a hug. “I really am happy for you, little brother. You deserve to be happy and Dean makes you happy. So stop with the nerves, take a deep breath, and let’s get this show on the road.”

Cas chuckled and nodded. “I am ready.”

Gabe beamed. “Good! Because I think I hear music.”

 

Dean watched Gabe walked down the aisle and took another deep breath. He could do this. This was happening. It was finally happening.

He glanced down at his feet, breathing in and out, making sure he didn’t pass out from anxiety. He heard the music change and looked up. His lips parted in awe when he caught sight of the love of his life walking towards him. Cas had never looked as handsome as did in that moment.

Dean couldn’t take his eyes off of Cas as he was getting closer and closer to him. Cas’s eyes had locked with his and his lips were parted as well, but Dean wasn’t exactly sure why.

Cas reached him and Dean took his hand, a smile slipping onto his face. Cas returned the smile and Dean saw all the love Cas had for him shining in his eyes.

They turned and looked at the officiant, neither wanting to look away, but they forced themselves to.

The man started his speech about love and marriage. "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together.

True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace, when the day is done. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding.

May you always need one another, not to fill an emptiness, but to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another.

Castiel and Dean, today you choose each other before your family and friends, to begin your life together. For all the tomorrows that follow, you will choose each other over and again, in the privacy of your hearts. Let your love and friendship guide you, as you learn and grow together. Experience the wonders of the world, even as patience and wisdom calm the restless nature. Through your partnership, triumph over the challenges in your path. Through the comfort of loving arms, may you always find a safe place to call home."

There was a moment’s pause and Dean knew it was time for the vows. He was just thankful they had decided not to personalize them and memorize them because he wasn’t sure if he could have recited anything by memory with the way his brain was acting.

“Do you Dean choose Castiel to be your partner in life, to support and respect him in his successes and as well his failures, to care for him in sickness and in health, to nurture him, and to grow with him throughout the seasons of your life together?"

“I do.”

Dean gulped. This was the part he was most worried about.

“Do you Castiel choose Dean to be your partner in life, to support and respect him in his successes and as well his failures, to care for him in sickness and in health, to nurture him, and to grow with him throughout the seasons of your life together?"

“I do.”

Dean couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. The part he’d been so worried about...he’d had no reason to worry at all. A part of him knew that already.

"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today."

Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring and watched as Cas did the same thing. He turned to him, grabbed his left hand gently.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you."

He slid the ring onto Cas’s finger slowly since his hands had started to shake again. He really didn’t want to drop it. How embarrassing would that be?

He smiled up at Cas who had tears in his eyes. Seeing Cas so close to tears brought them to his own eyes. Cas grabbed his left hand and smiled up at him.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you."

Cas slid the ring onto his finger and smiled lovingly at Dean.

"And now, by the power vested in me by the State of Kansas, I hereby pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss.”

Dean smiled and placed his left hand on Cas’s cheek. He leaned forward and their lips met. It wasn’t deep, but it was full of passion and love. The kiss showed the other how much they really loved each other and how happy they were to be married.

Cheering and applause erupted from the audience and Dean couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face as he pulled away slightly, staring into Cas’s eyes.

 “Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends…I present to you Dean and Castiel Winchester.”

Dean and Cas turned towards the audience, their faces lit up. Their fingers were entwined and they weren’t letting go, not for a little while at least.

They moved away from the altar and walked down the aisle together as a married couple, followed by their brothers and close friends.

They walked out into the reception area and waited. A line formed with them at the end so they could see everyone who came before they would sign the license and then take pictures.

Dean looked down at Cas and smiled. He pressed his lips to Cas’s for a moment before pulling away and looking deep into his eyes. “I love you, Cas. I’m so lucky to be married to you.”

Cas’s smile widened. “I love you too, Dean. I believe I am the one who is lucky to be married to you.”

Dean chuckled, feeling a sense of déjà vu. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Thank you so much for marrying me and being with me. I couldn’t ask for anything greater than that.”

Sam looked over at his brother and his husband. A smile erupted onto his face as he saw how happy they were together. He had never seen Dean as happy as he’d been since their father had died. It was a sad fact, but Dean was finally happy.

He had found that one person who could turn his world upside down and put a smile on his face just by walking into the room. They were meant for each other, it was obvious. They had been created solely for each other and no one else. They were the very definition of soulmates.

Gabe entwined his fingers with Sam’s, grabbing his attention. Sam looked down at him and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Gabe smiled, “So, Samsquatch, when are we going to tell them about our engagement?”

Sam’s smile widened. “Tomorrow. We’ll tell them all tomorrow.”

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...it's over. It's done. Extremely sad...this is the first fanfiction story I have ever COMPLETED. Like...not including one-shots or two shots or stories I kind of ended up giving up on...I mean, a story I stuck to and continued even when I didn't feel like writing. I just can't believe it! I really hope that you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I had a lot of fun connecting dots and adding in all the supernatural elements. Thank you so much for your support on this story! If you haven't already read them, I do have other stories. Again, thank you so much! You've all been amazingly wonderful!! ^.^


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